Far From Home
by Queen Kasumi
Summary: Naruto and Ume (Jiraiya's granddaughter) from an AU Pokémon world are transported to Konoha, where apparently another Naruto exists. The problem? Convincing the people in Konoha that they are not spies and finding a way home. If only it was as easy as it sounds. No major pairings (just lots of overtones :P)
1. Coming Home

**Author's Note:** Anything you recognise doesn't belong to me :)

**I **

**Coming Home  
**

_**Ilex Forest - Johto**_

Naruto Uzumaki raised his lazuli eyes to the plaque that marked the shrine's entrance, a small smile flirting on the edge of his lips as he lowered his gaze to his shiny Pokémon companion.

"Come Ninetails, we have been away for long enough; no doubt our family will be expecting us," he murmured, moving an absent hand over the silver fur as the duo started up the stone steps.

So much had happened since he had left the shrine seven years earlier. He went to embark on his dream of becoming a world-renowned Pokémon Trainer, vowing he would not return until he fulfilled that dream. Seven years later and he was finally coming home with the championship trophies from both the Indigo Plateau Conference the previous year, and the Silver Conference a few months earlier.

His stomach churned with butterflies as he continued his ascent. He hadn't seen either Jiraiya or Ume in person for all that time. He had kept in contact with them regularly through email and phone calls, but seeing them face to face again after all these years in person left him feeling nervous.

His parents died when he was only a baby, and from a young age the only family he remembered was Jiraiya and his granddaughter Ume, who became a grandfather and sister to him. Aside from them, the only other constant presence in his life was Ninetails.

Coming to a standstill at the top of the stairs, his eyes moved along the footpath that stretched before him lined with ornate stone lamps. Naruto felt his chest constrict as nostalgia overcame him. To his right lay the personal quarters where they lived; to his left lay a large pond with a footbridge, marked at the far corner by a plum blossom tree in full bloom. Pink flowers lay scattered in a thin veil over the grass and water that lay beneath its long limbs, its drifting petals extending to the footbridge that crossed the pond's centre.

_Ume._

A smile came to his face as the pink flowers for which Ume was named brought to mind the deep pink of his foster sister's eyes.

He turned towards the living quarters instinctively, his heart leaping in his chest. Taking in a deep breath, he headed for the building, his home since he could remember.

"Home at last."

**X**

At the sound of footsteps on the wooden terrace coming from without, a hush fell over the group of people huddled within the living area. Jiraiya's dark eyes met a pink gaze that shone back at him in excitement.

The priest of the shrine made a mental tally of those who were huddled in the room. Sakura and Sasuke, Naruto's travelling companions at one time or another in the past six years, were present as were a number of other friends Naruto had made on his journey. He counted Kakashi, one of Naruto's mentors, and was pleased to see Lee and Ten Ten from the neighbouring Kanto region, as well as Ino and Shikamaru and other friends of Naruto's from Johto who grew up with his Godson.

Jiraiya could not help but feel proud of Naruto and his achievements. All his hard work had paid off in the past two years, being the Pokémon Champion of both the Indigo and Silver Conferences. For himself and Ume especially, watching him pursue his dream and making it a reality was most special. Jiraiya felt his eyes burn as he thought of his parents whom he knew would have been the most proud.

"Gramps he's here!" Ume hissed, her loose white curls quivering in excitement as she grinned at the sliding door that a shadow had settled on.

The room was silent as they watched a hand move to the handle to slide the door open. Natural light filtered into the room as a tall shadow loomed over them.

"Welcome home Naruto!"

**X**

Ume watched as his friends milled around the male she referred to as her brother. She had to admit, he had become much more handsome in the time he had gone. The live coverage throughout his battles and adventures away did him no justice, or perhaps she was merely being biased.

She watched as he conversed with Ino and Ten Ten, who were avidly more interested in _him_ than anything he had to say. She chuckled to herself as she shook her head. Naruto always was a ladies' man, despite the fact that there was only one woman's affections he coveted.

"Ume, I noticed you hadn't spoken to Naruto yet."

The warm voice caught her off guard as she turned to meet a pair of pale green eyes. The intruder made her smile as she nodded at Naruto.

"It's hard to make time when he has a fan club to please," she replied teasingly as her companion smiled shyly.

"You can say that again," she replied.

Ume had always liked Sakura. She was a pretty girl by her and Naruto's standards (something they have discussed at length) with her long pink hair and fair skin. Her hair fell to below her breasts and her bangs fell across her eyes, complementing her light coloured eyes.  
Aside from her physical attributes, she was one of Naruto's closest companions, joining him on his Pokémon journey as a Co-ordinator looking to make a name for herself. By all counts, she was one of Naruto's sweetest friends, and Ume had come to like her a lot.

"I saw that you came first in the Kanto Grand Festival, congratulations!" Ume mentioned excitedly, resulting in a blush from Sakura who simply nodded.

"Thank you, Ume; Naruto had a lot to do with that victory. He supported me throughout the entire competition, and leading up to it of course," she replied, her eyes drawn instinctively to the blonde still talking with the other two females.

"And to defeat Hinata in the finals, you've truly become a great Co-ordinator," Ume added, before instantly regretting the decision to mention her name.

Sakura's smile faltered noticeably at the comment before she shrugged.

"I worked hard for that title, and I was not about to let anyone take that from me," she replied as both females thought of the famous co-ordinator with lavender eyes. The very same co-ordinator Naruto had crushed on for the greater part of the past seven years.

"As for being a great Co-ordinator, you really are too kind with your compliments. I admit, I am the best I have ever been right now, but I still have a ways to go before I become _great_ as you so nicely put it," Sakura added.

Ume touched her arm lightly as she raised an encouraging fist with her free arm.

"Well I have no doubt that you will achieve that goal, Sakura, I can think of no one more deserving," Ume complimented.

Sakura simply smiled.

"Thank you for your support Ume; if you would excuse me, I need to go use the bathroom," she murmured politely before taking leave of her presence, but not before stealing a glance at Naruto.

Ume suppressed a sigh as she watched her leave. Hinata and Naruto met not long after Sakura started travelling with him at one of Sakura's Contests. Since then he had eyes for no other. Sure, Naruto was a flirt; he flirted with many females who were attracted by his looks and charm. But as for any serious prospects, he had only ever mentioned Hinata's name.

"I don't suppose he will be free anytime soon."

The cool voice brought a frown to Ume's lips as she rolled her eyes.

"I don't suppose _you_ will be leaving anytime soon?" she asked sarcastically, ignoring the dark haired male who appeared in Sakura's place.

"I was invited; it would be rude for me to leave without saying hello to one of my closest companions," Sasuke replied with a mischievous smile.

Ume turned away from him, trying her utmost to remain civil without calling out her Blastoise to Hydro Cannon the conceited Pokémon Trainer into the next town.

"Look, I don't see why we cannot be civil; you should be pleased I'm even _talking_ to you; do you not understand that it is a _privilege _to be seen with me?" he continued, his deep voice making her irritable.

_Peace, Ume, patience, and breathe…_

Ume exhaled slowly through her nostrils as she forced herself to face the handsome male.

"Your arrogance disgusts me; you're here because you're _Naruto's_ friend, _not _mine so if you have an ounce of decency, _leave me alone_," she hissed before turning on her heels and marching in the opposite direction.

"I'd rather kiss Lee than talk to that jerk," she muttered beneath her breath as she went to find her grandfather.

To that day, she had no idea what Naruto and Sasuke had in common. Sasuke was the pin up Pokémon Trainer, the one male Trainer all the girls wanted to be with and the boys wanted to be. To Ume, he was nothing more than a shallow male who was all show and no depth.

The one time Ume gave him a chance to prove her theory wrong, he failed spectacularly on all levels. What infuriated her even more was that he had recently set his sights on 'conquering Sakura's heart' as he'd been foolish enough to inform her. Of course after she punched him in the jaw, he neglected to bring the subject matter up again.

"Over my dead body," she murmured darkly as she entered the hallway of their home, headed for her grandfather's bedroom.

She was obstructed by a tall figure with long grey hair standing with a book in hand as he leant against the far wall. His eyes were glued to the pages, and his face was impressed with an expression of such excitement that left Ume with no doubt as to what he was reading.

"Kakashi, what brings you to this secluded spot in our house?" she greeted brightly, a satisfied smirk settling on her face as the older male jumped. Closing the thin booklet swiftly, he thrust it behind his back before running a hand smoothly through his straight hair.

"Oh nothing, young Ume, merely reading up on how to tell if someone is your _true_ love," he replied effortlessly before straightening.

"So any prospects?" Ume asked, taking his bait.

Kakashi immediately frowned.

"None."

"Well I'll keep praying to the Spirits for you," she responded before adding, "I'm actually looking for Gramps, any idea where I can find him?"

Kakashi nodded towards his bedroom before moving past her swiftly.

"Make sure you knock first," he called as Ume moved ahead to Jiraiya's bedroom.

_How dense do they think I am? _

She shook her head as she came to her grandfather's sliding door, thinking of how she caught Kakashi red-handedly reading her grandfather's newest _Icha Icha _volume. He had never told her about his adult novels, and she suspected that he never intended to.

Perhaps he thought he was protecting her opinion of him, but whatever the reason, Ume was not all that bothered. Her grandfather had sacrificed a lot for Naruto and her, and if this was a past time that gave him some pleasure, then so be it.

"I'm surprised you're out here, you should be at the front, _Neji's_ there," a familiar voice interrupted sarcastically.

Ume paused as she turned slowly, a wide grin spreading across her face.

"I may be Neji's fangirl, but I'm _your _biggest fan first Naruto," she replied as she approached him, pulling him into a firm hug.

She breathed him in, his musky cologne tickling her nose as she buried her head in his shoulder. Her eyes began to sting as she felt his hand caress her long white tresses as he held the back of her head.

"I planned to land a punch on your face for taking so long to come back home," Ume murmured as she released herself from his hold, wiping her eyes.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders slightly as he winked at her.

"Better late than never Ume; I went away and you were just a little girl, and now I return and you're all grown up," he commented, his eyes taking in her form hidden beneath her shrine maiden clothing.

"I could say the same for you Naruto, you're definitely taller," she responded, mirroring his inspecting gaze as she peered at him from his blonde head to his shoes.

"And you're definitely _prettier_," he murmured, at which Ume snorted as she waved a hand offhandedly.

"Oh but Naruto I've _always _been pretty," she joked, causing Naruto to shake his head in an exasperated fashion.

"I suppose you have," he replied simply, noting that her hair had grown and now ended at her waist. Her pink eyes were much more defined by long dark lashes and her features had attained a feminine glow that came with age. Pretty was an understatement, he thought to himself before he felt her move quickly past him, dragging him along with her.

"Come Naruto, as much as I would love to keep you all to myself, this party is for you so you should be _there_," she stated firmly, pulling him into the living area where his friends were still gathered.

A certain pair of light jade eyes found his as Naruto grinned on impulse. Sakura approached them, to Ume's delight, as the white haired female shot a glare at Sasuke who shifted his gaze elsewhere.

"I am sure you two have some catching up to do, if you would excuse me," Ume murmured, leaving them alone in search of the white haired male she had inherited her most prominent feature from.

**X**

"What a day!" Naruto exclaimed as he put away the final plate, throwing the tea towel over his shoulder as he did so.

"What a day indeed, it's good to have you back Naruto," Jiraiya added from the table where he sat with his laptop. Naruto nodded at the older man with a smile.

"Working on another novel?" Naruto asked in a low voice, taking advantage of the fact that Ume was not currently in the room.

Jiraiya nodded solemnly as he stroked his chin.

"I'm in the final stages of proof-reading; I gave it to Kakashi to have a read over and see what he thinks of it; it's still pending a name though," the older male responded as Naruto took a seat at his side.

Jiraiya turned to face him directly.

"I don't think you realise how proud Ume and I are of you; two championship trophies in the space of two years; what is next for you, Naruto?" Jiraiya asked as Naruto blushed lightly.

"My parents, you and Ume were all I could think about when I won those championships. Even though I know my parents aren't here, I felt them with me; you were all with me when I won. As for my plans, there are still other regions to conquer so I intend to carry on from there," Naruto replied.

A comfortable silence fell over the two men as Naruto's eyes drifted over to the window opposite him on the far side of the kitchen. The blue black sky was studded with tiny glittering lights, anchored by the full moon that gleamed back at the pair.

"I didn't realise how much Ume had grown; she sounds the same on the phone, but seeing her in person…"

Jiraiya hummed an agreement as he leant against the table, his forearms resting on either side of his laptop.

"She's beautiful, like her mother and grandmother before her," Jiraiya murmured, staring intently at his laptop screen.

"She hasn't mentioned anything about a boyfriend?" Naruto asked, at which Jiraiya shook his head.

"It's not for the lack of candidates, that's for sure; several guys have shown interest, but she's persistent in her refusal," Jiraiya replied as he sighed.

"She keeps saying that she has enough men in her life, meaning you and I of course; apparently she has 'no time' for anyone else," he added.

Naruto pursed his lips as he chuckled. It was a typical Ume response.

"To be honest, Naruto, as children I had always hoped that as you two grew older that you would fall in love and have a family of your own together," Jiraiya began. Naruto glanced at his Godfather, his eyes alert.

"But this has not been the reality; I realise now that your love is deep for one another like a love is between siblings, and I see that while you will always be there for one another, you are not destined to be lovers, which I admit does have me worried for Ume," he continued, his dark eyes meeting Naruto's squarely.

"I do not know how many years I have left, I may have a few, I may have plenty, but I do not want to leave Ume alone should I be called to the afterlife unexpectedly," he concluded, holding Naruto's gaze.

A heavy silence followed as Naruto swallowed.

"You of all people should know that I will _never_ let anything happen to Ume; she will always have a special place in my heart, perhaps not as a lover, but most definitely as a sister whom I admire and adore; please do not worry yourself over something like that; you underestimate the both of us," Naruto replied firmly.

Before Jiraiya could respond, an explosion sounded from outside as the pair jumped to their feet. Ume had still not returned from closing the shrine up for the evening. Without a word, they flew out the door into the cool evening air.

**X**

"Ninetails!"

The silver creature appeared at his side as the pair raced down the stairs headed directly for Ilex Forest that loomed in the darkness ahead. The deep blue sky was filled with a grey smoke that came from deep within the forest.

"Go Absol, Houndoom, Manectric and Arcanine," Naruto called as he pulled four pokéballs from his trench coat and released them into the air around him.

His path was illuminated momentarily as the Pokémon materialised alongside him before the darkness surrounded them again.

"Arca-nine," Arcanine greeted as Absol, Houndoom and Manectric barked a greeting in response.

"Find Ume!" Naruto commanded as they ran through the foliage, crunching through the trees and shrubs that clawed at them

More explosions sounded, shaking the ground beneath them as Naruto continued his pursuit. His eyes caught sight of a bright light that intensified as they neared.

_Ume is ahead where that light is, she is in grave danger._

Ninetails' regal telepathic voice warned him from ahead where the Pokémon still led them towards the light. The light intensified as he neared, his Pokémon returning to their pokéballs without command as Naruto looked towards the source of the light.

What had been an electric fence had been destroyed, allowing him entrance into the clearing surrounded by several buildings. His eyes caught on the red and white of Ume's clothes as she stood before the glowing Pokémon who loomed over her.

"What _is _that?" Naruto breathed as he ran towards Ume with Ninetails at his side.

_Mega Charizard_.

"Ume!" he cried as he came to her side. Ume did not meet his eyes as she continued to stare at the glowing Pokémon. Upon closer inspection, he saw that Mega Charizard had tubes still attached to its head as well as its arms and legs.

Before anything more could be said, the sound of three great roars from behind them caused Ume to smile. Her cavalry had arrived. Glancing at Naruto she gestured for him to step back with her as three blurs passed them headed directly for Mega Charizard who released a flamethrower aimed directly at them.

Naruto automatically reached for Ume, crushing her against his person as he fell against her. His eyes screwed closed as he waited for the heat.

_Look after her; we will deal with this from here._

Naruto glanced up, meeting eyes with Entei briefly as he and Ume were surrounded by light. That was the last he remembered as the light faded, the blonde succumbing to the darkness that followed.

**X**

**Author's Notes **(I have a heap of 'em lol):

1. I apologise for the long chapter, but I wanted to get some context in there. I know that there was a lot going on, and it may have even been confusing so sorry about that from the outset. I wanted there to be a glimpse of what the Naruto characters are like in this world (or my interpretation of them).

2. Forgive me if I've butchered a character's personality; because Naruto here is from the Pokémon world, I took the liberty of changing things up, like having Naruto like Hinata and Sakura like Naruto etc. I think it will make things more fun ;)

3. I am personally NaruSaku/NaruHina fan; I like both fandoms so I'm not too bothered on that front, the same with SasuSaku :) As for pairings in this story… we'll see how it goes, you're welcome to have a say on your opinion :)

4. Jiraiya is one of my favourite characters, andiIn honour of him I created Ume, hence the white hair. As for the pink eyes, well she was named for plum blossoms which are pink, hence the colour of her eyes… very unoriginal I know. I apologise if she comes across as being forced upon you, if that makes any sense. Jiraiya will still be deceased in the Naruto world she is travelling to, unbeknownst to her of course. I've always felt (biased Jiraiya-fangirl opinion here) that Jiraiya should have someone to carry on his legacy, or at least his bloodline. He could have a brother for all I know, but in the Pokémon world, I've given him a granddaughter (he was a young father, and Ume's mother had her young too if you're thinking about age etc. :P)

5. Ninetails and Naruto have a special connection. I know I've taken some license in them having a telepathic bond, but I remember watching an episode once where a Ninetails was able to create a telepathic image for itself in the form of a female who Brock fell for (naturally) and I took license from there :)

6. Future chapters won't be as long, I promise ;)

7. Updates: to be honest, I'm not expecting many hits, so I'll be buzzing if anyone has read to this far! :) I will update either once a week or as soon as I receive **3 reviews **(_not_ favourites or follows), whichever of the two options takes the longest.

8. This is meant to generally be a 'fun' story, which may mean some silliness here and there, with a dash of serious moments in there too.

**Final Note: **thank you for reading! Please do review, if you have any questions state them there and I'll do my best to respond accordingly; evidently this is also my first fic; I appreciate constructive criticism too, which means if you hate it, please do me the favour of saying _why_ and _how _I can possibly improve :)

Many thanks,

- QK


	2. Familiar Faces

**Author's Note:** Anything you recognise doesn't belong to me :)

Special thanks to **Rayquaza678**, **Kurosaki Yukia****, ****nightwatcher55 **and **dracologistmaster** for your reviews. This chapter is dedicated to you four _naturally_ ;)

_Phrases in italics are telepathic communication or thoughts._

**Notes about Konoha for the chapter:**

- main characters are 16/17 in this fic  
- everything that has happened thus far in the manga has happened in this world up to the point where Sasuke has allied himself again with Konoha (which means Jiraiya, Asuma, Neji etc are deceased)  
- any questions, just ask!

**II**

**Familiar Faces**

**Konohagakure – Village Hidden in the Leaves**

Naruto stirred slowly, his head aching as he attempted to sit up. His vision gradually swam to view as he opened his eyes, blinking carefully as the blurry surrounds came into focus. The sky was still dark, but he was surprised to find himself in an abandoned playground. He stood, his wide eyes searching the area immediately around him. His gaze caught on the white head and kimono top that had fallen several feet away from him, partially hidden by a bush.

"Ume!" he cried as he threw himself into a mad dash towards the unmoving figure.

He kneeled at her side, rolling her gently towards him onto her back. Reaching for her neck, he felt the thrum of life on her warm throat. Breathing a sigh of relief, he inspected the rest of her body, patting his hands along her red _hanakama_ pants, resting briefly on her waist before moving his investigative touch along her white arms.

_Everything is solid._

Moving at last to inspect her face, aside from some dirt that marked her face, she came out more or less unscathed. He touched her forehead softly, her tepid head a small comfort to her otherwise unconscious form.

The blonde stood, his blue eyes surveying the surrounding area. There was no one in sight, and ahead he could see that they were possibly on the outskirts of a settlement.

I need to find somewhere to take her, but before I can I need to know it is safe, he thought to himself as he glanced down at the deep breathing female.

He had a gut feeling that they were no longer in Ilex Forest, but if this were to be true, where _were _they? A flash of panic crossed his face as he looked around them once more for any sign of a Pokémon.

"Ninetails," he called.

The trees rustled above him as he circled expectantly, his blue eyes not coming into contact with anything Pokémon-like.

"Ninetails!" he repeated a little more desperately.

His brow furrowed as images of the vulpine Pokémon came to mind from moments before. He remembered that Ninetails had been at his side. He went cold with a sensation he was all too familiar with. The dark feeling formed in the pit of his stomach, clawing throughout his person as the feeling of abandonment began to consume him. His heart began to race as he forced himself to inhale and exhale slowly. His one constant was nowhere to be found. His hands became clammy as he felt his mind begin to shut down at the thought. As his eyes went to close, an image swam to view from the recesses of his mind.

He was five again, grinning widely alongside a five year old Ume who smiled sweetly. Their arms were around one another and both were standing at the shrine entrance, with Naruto secretly poking two fingers as bunny ears behind Ume's snowy head.

That image faded into another of him at the age of 10 standing in the same spot, this time with two others who stood on either side of him. Sasuke smirked confidently on his left while Sakura beamed on his right, her arm snaked through his.

_You're not alone…_

Shaking his head violently, he dispelled the heaviness that had threatened to overcome him as his eyes flew open. Ume's motionless form greeted him, anchoring his mind to the present. She _needed_ him. Finding his resolve, Naruto reached into the pocket of his trench coat and felt for the circular ball there. Pulling it out, he held it pointed away from him.

"Go Houndoom," he called as a flash of light briefly illuminated the secluded area before dissipating to reveal the canine Pokémon standing erect.

"Stay here and watch over Ume while I go and see where we can get some help. Don't move until I get back," he instructed.

Houndoom growled in response as he watched Naruto tenderly move Ume to be completely hidden by the bush. Stripping off his long black coat, he threw it over her body before he knelt once more at her side. Naruto brushed her cheek gingerly.

"I'll be back before you know it," he whispered as he straightened, turning his back on the pair.

"Houndoom remain hidden, you know what to do if a threat presents itself; no matter what, look after Ume," he said sternly before he finally began to walk away from them.

He tried to shake the ominous feeling that he would not return any time soon as he passed the gate, glancing back to the bush to find it empty.

I'll be quick, he promised quietly as he ventured towards the sound of people that greeted his ears.

**X**

**16 Years Earlier **

**Ilex Forest**

_The building was an illuminated plume of smoke marring the blue black sky. Flames licked the air as the disintegrating wood crackled in the heat, the lone mansion in the middle of the forest crumbling._

"_What on earth…"_

_A tall male appeared at the fringes of the trees surrounding the home, his arms laden with shopping. Abandoning his load, he ran directly towards the house, mounting the stairs in one leap. He ignored the orange lit doorway as he kicked the down the burning entrance, spluttering as a cloud of smoke overwhelmed him. Sweat dotting his brow, he raised an elbow over his mouth and ventured into the smouldering house._

"_Kushina!" the blonde shouted as he headed for the stairs. _

_An almighty crash sounded from behind him, and despite the sinking feeling that clamped over his heart, he flew up the stairs. His ears pricked at the sound of a tiny cough. His heart thrumming wildly in his chest, he arrived at the top of the stairs to find the room directly opposite him alight. With no door barring him, he dove through the entrance to find the room thick with smoke. He choked as he fell to the ground, crawling as his mind began to swirl._

"_Ku-shina," he spluttered as he flattened his body against the ground. His blue eyes burned as he squinted in the haze._

_There he made out a cloak of red hair lying motionless on the ground. A lump formed in his throat as he crawled towards the figure. Ages passed as he made his way towards her. A large crack sounded from somewhere near the doorway as the wooden floor trembled beneath his body while he moved. Coming against her back, he rolled her towards him to find her face wet. Her hair was stuck to her face, and as he raised a hand to smooth her mussed hair her eyes fluttered open, focussing on him._

"_Minato… I'm so sorry; the fire-"_

"_Where's Naruto?" Minato responded gently as her eyes began to shine._

"_I entrusted him to Ninetails," she cried hoarsely as she buried her head in his shoulder._

_Minato relaxed as he took his wife into his arms._

"_As long as our son is safe," he murmured in her ear as he felt her arms latch around his waist. Her shoulders shook uncontrollably. _

_Minato had no words to comfort his young wife. As the smoke overcame them in a thick cloak, he thought of his son with the brightest of blue eyes and blonde hair that mirrored his own. The son he would not see again until the afterlife. With that thought he cried, his tears ushering him into a deep slumber from which he knew he would not awake._

"_We love you, Naruto," was the last thing he heard Kushina whimper as a loud crash sounded from above them._

**X**

**Present Day **

**Konohagakure**

Naruto strolled through the marketplace, his sapphire eyes inspecting the various stalls and shops he passed. The air buzzed with conversation and laughter of the stall holders and their customers. In all his travels throughout Johto and Kanto, he had not seen a place quite like where he found himself.

"Hey, watch it!"

Naruto blinked, muttering an apology to the man that he bumped into before continuing on his way. Staring at the people that passed him, he could not help but feel out of place dressed in his white shirt and black pants.

As he moved along, he noticed the one thing that was eating at his thoughts; there were no Pokémon in sight. Even in the most traditional of towns and the smallest of villages in Kanto and Johto, there were always Pokémon present.

His eyes contracted with thought as his steps slowed.

_I should've seen a Pokémon by now; what does this mean, the absence of them here in this place?_

The thought died in his mind as a familiar pair of pale violet eyes came into view. He blinked quickly, narrowing his eyes as the female approached him, her dark lavender hair falling across her face as the soft evening breeze washed over her.

Naruto felt his heart leap in his chest as Hinata locked eyes with him, the female coming to a standstill in the middle of the bustling street.

_Finally, a familiar face!_

"Naruto?" she questioned, her brow cocked as she looked him up and down.

Naruto's brow furrowed slightly as he approached her, forcing a smile on his face to dispel his initial confusion.

_It's definitely her._

"Good evening Hinata, you're looking pretty tonight," he greeted, his voice smooth as he winked at her.

He half expected her to ignore him like she usually did when he hit on her. When he realised that several moments passed without Hinata making a response, he glanced over at the fair female who simply stared at him, beet red.

"Hinata are you ok?" Naruto probed, concern creasing his brow as he touched her forehead.

Hinata whimpered at the touch, her cheeks well and truly bright. He raked his eyes over her frame hidden by shapeless clothes, his suspicion aroused when the female didn't respond.

_She looks like Hinata, but what is she wearing? And why hasn't she sent out her Jolteon to thunderbolt me already?_

"Hina-"

"NARUTO!"

He jumped, turning swiftly to greet eyes ablaze in anger, eyes that he had _never _seen with such an emotion.

"_Sakura!?_" he yelped.

**X**

**12 Years Earlier **

**Shrine to the Three Legendary Beasts . Ilex Forest**

_Jiraiya stretched his arms above his head, releasing a yawn as he went to stand. His eyes glanced over his desk strewn with paper that read bits and pieces of his newest Icha Icha volume. He glanced outside the window, glimpsing the pond and plum blossom tree that stood at the opposite end of the shrine grounds._

_His eyes moistened as he thought of his daughter and his wife. She and her mother had planted the plum blossom tree when she was a child. That had been a lifetime ago…_

_He was brought out of his reverie by a small white head trotting past the window. Panic filled his chest as he ran into the spare room to find one of the two beds empty. In the other bed, a spiky blonde head rested, lightly snoring. Cursing, Jiraiya ran outside to find a brown kimono clad figure less than half his size gravitate towards the pond._

"_Ume!" Jiraiya called, the little girl ignoring his voice as he jogged after her, his kimono flapping behind him._

_Just as she crossed the path that separated their living quarters from the pond, Jiraiya caught up with her, sweeping the young girl into his arms. She giggled in delight as she instinctively threw her arms around his neck, hugging his head._

"_Grampy, Pokémon!" she explained, releasing her hold on his head to point towards the plum blossom tree. _

_His dark eyes widened as he saw three large canine Pokémon standing on the pond's edge at the foot of the tree. Turning to glance at his granddaughter briefly, by the time he turned back the legendary Pokémon had disappeared. _

_Slightly puzzled, Jiraiya carried Ume back to their house, the younger girl playing with his hair as she hummed to herself._

_Ume had been named for the plum blossom, her mother's favourite flower. He lifted his eyes wistfully to the clear azure sky marked by dashes of white that reminded him of his granddaughter's hair._

"_Ume, you were supposed to be sleeping," he growled gently, to which Ume pouted, her brow gently creased._

"_Sorry Grampy," she murmured sadly as she wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head against his shoulder._

"_When I take you back inside, make sure you don't wake Naruto," he warned softly as he slid the door open to their home._

_The faint sound of breathing was Ume's response as they entered._

"_Grampa, Ume's -"_

_Jiraiya raised a silent finger to his lips, suppressing a sigh as the other child greeted him. Naruto closed his lips as he watched Jiraiya lay Ume to rest with wide eyes._

_Despite the fact that his wife and daughter were no longer with him, there was not a day that passed where he did not thank the Spirits that he had Ume and Naruto. As Jiraiya settled Ume into her bed, Naruto covered her with a blanket. Jiraiya kissed her white head delicately before straightening with the child at his side._

"_Come Naruto, let Ume sleep," Jiraiya whispered, the younger boy obeying immediately as he followed Jiraiya out of the room._

_He had not envisioned his family consisting of himself and two young children. The Spirits were strange in their dealings, he learned. Despite the bitterness he had suffered at the loss of first his wife and daughter, then Minato and Kushina, the only consolation he had was in the form of Naruto and Ume._

_It is a great consolation indeed, he thought to himself. He smiled, patting Naruto's head absently as the pair walked outside._

**X**

**Present Day**

**Konohagakure**

Sakura stalked towards the source of her complaint, rage coursing through her body.

How dare he leave me waiting for him for an hour, she fumed silently as she approached him. Her mind had already calculated ways in which to inflict the most pain on the male whose eyes stared at her not in fear but of another expression that caught her off guard. He looked _shocked_.

"_Sakura!?_"

The cry was one devoid of fear or guilt as she was accustomed to. When she finally came close enough to land a punch to his blonde head, the nonchalant expression that settled on his face momentarily threw her off as he peered over her figure with a dismissive look.

"Anger doesn't suit you, Sakura," he said simply as he brushed an errant lock of her pink hair out of her eyes before pocketing his hands.

"Tell me, what have I done to make you angry?" Naruto continued, his usually teasing gaze deadly serious.

Her anger dissipated at his words as her eyes widened at the bold move. Her cheek burned from where he had made contact, causing her to raise a protective hand to her face.

It was then she noticed that her friend was dressed differently. His white shirt was a style she was unfamiliar with, with a folded collar that had buttons running from the top right through the shirt at its front. It was well fitted against his muscular form, accentuating the width of his shoulders. The top few buttons of the shirt were undone, revealing a hint of his defined chest. His pants were not as loose as she was used to and were as well fitted to his figure as the shirt was. Even his shoes were strange, the black leather ankle boots glinting in the lamplight.

With the shirt's sleeves casually rolled up, his hands in his pockets, and his eyes staring at her intently, she could not reconcile her brash teammate with the picture of charm that stood before her.

"Whatever it was, I'm sorry, but right now, I need your help," he interrupted, breaking her train of thought.

Sakura blinked before nodding, suddenly conscious of the intensity of Naruto's gaze.

"Come with me," he commanded, taking a hold of her wrist and dragging her in the opposite direction of Icharaku.

At any other time, she would have berated him for being so forceful and would have knocked him out cold, but for some reason there was something different about Naruto, something that piqued her interest. She followed him willingly, ignoring the warmth that swept through her body at his touch.

**X**

**Outskirts of Konohagakure**

The black Pokémon growled softly as the white head stirred from behind the bush. She sat up, her head heavy as she attempted to stand. Her head swam as she kept her eyes closed, inhaling deeply through her nostrils.

On her feet her eyes opened slowly as she beheld her new surrounds. She felt with every fibre of her being that she was no longer in the Pokémon world. She detected it in the air. The hum of life that thrummed around her, that her sensitive spirit could always read, was devoid of the energy she knew belonged to Pokémon. This world was neither better nor worse, she felt, it was merely _different._

She could not sense the presence of Entei, Suicune or Raikou either. Inherited from her bloodline, she naturally shared a close blond with the legendary Pokémon. No matter how near or far they roamed Kanto, Johto and beyond, she could sense their triune presence on the earth. She was bound to them, and would be until the day she died.

Closing her eyes once more, Houndoom stiffened at her side. He bared his teeth, drool dripping from his exposed fangs as Ume nodded at his side.

"I feel him too; he's here," she whispered, her eyes flying open as she propelled herself into a run.

Houndoom came after her, latching onto her wide red pants. Ume felt the tug of the protective Pokémon and smiled to herself. She had no doubt that Naruto had gone to look for help, leaving his Pokémon in his wake to protect her.

"I'm sorry Houndoom, but I have to go," she murmured, patting the Pokémon fondly. She knelt as she pried her clothing from his teeth before moving to stroke his smooth neck. She smiled warmly, feeling the tense muscles relax beneath her fingertips.

"You wait here for Naruto, it's too dangerous for you to come with me; don't worry, I'll be back before you know it," she murmured, Houndoom resting on his hind legs as he blinked at the miko.

Houndoom watched helplessly as she departed swiftly, his beady eyes on her snowy tresses that billowed behind her like a cloud. The Pokémon could not help but draw a resemblance between her departure and that of his Trainer. Lowering his head, his nose picked up on the presence of another.

_Where is Naruto?_

The silver Pokémon appeared at his side breathing heavily, its nine tails fanned out behind it. Houndoom merely glanced over at the Pokémon, growling incoherently for any human. Ninetails nodded before fading into the air. Houndoom turned his attention back to the gate both Ume and Naruto had departed from. He suspected that he would be waiting for some time before he would see either face.

**X**

**Outside Konohagakure**

The air shuddered as the giant dragon Pokémon batted its red wings in the deep blue sky. Its fiery tail betrayed its presence as it lowered itself, landing on the grass with a resounding thud that sent a shiver through the trees. Its large square jaw unleashed a roar that filled the atmosphere, dispelling the birds and other animals that lingered within the immediate vicinity.

"Mega Charizard!"

An abnormally large bird circled the beast from the air before swooping with a figure nestled on its neck. Nearing the ground, the human silhouette separated from the bird to land directly before the large Pokémon, uttering a return command for the Pidgeot that faded into the red light of its pokéball.

Mega Charizard fixed its wild stare upon the slender human female who met his gaze squarely.

"Why have you brought us here?" she asked firmly, to which the large beast snorted flames from its nostrils.

_I never intended to come here. I was content on destroying that cursed laboratory and seeking revenge on the human that made me this way, but perhaps being here has its benefits too._

Ume blinked, her eyes widening briefly as she tightened her fists.

"Being here doesn't change _anything_; you and I are returning to the Pokémon wor-"

Mega Charizard raised its wings threateningly, thrusting his chest out. Rising on his hind legs, he towered over her, baring his fangs.

_Oh but on the contrary, miko, I am not going __**anywhere**__._

Ume reached for her pocket too slowly to find Mega Charizard open his mouth to propel a vortex of fire towards her. Before she could react, the wind was knocked out of her chest as she felt a force capture her body. The attack singed the ends of her hair as her wide eyes witnessed the appearance of Entei, Suicune and Raikou behind her. She watched with burning eyes as the Three Legendary Beasts launched their attack against Mega Charizard.

She wriggled her upper legs against the firm arms that had captured them and thrown her over their shoulder. She cursed as she was carried further away, her captor moving with such speed that it was not long before she could no longer see the battle unfold.

"Let me _go!_" she hissed as she aimed her elbow against her perpetrator's spine, driving the joint with all the force she could muster into the middle of the back.

She felt the arms loosen around her thighs momentarily. Taking the small window of opportunity, Ume propelled herself over the shoulder to land on the earth. Moving her hand towards the fold of her kimono top, she instinctively turned with hard eyes, only to have her brow furrow as she recognised her kidnapper.

_Naruto?_

**X**

**Vocab:**

_**Miko – **_shrine maiden

**Author's Notes:**

1. Weekly updates are the norm, once 3 reviews have been received (I know, how mean of me :P).

2. Flashbacks will appear in chapters every now and then (when needed/when I can be bothered :P).

3. Next chapter will be the final in setting the scene for Konoha before we get the ball rolling.

4. I hope to have a greater presence of Pokémon in future chapters; perhaps not in the next one but the one after for sure.

5. Forgive any OOC-ness you see and any mistakes; it's what happens when you have no beta *sigh*

6. Had to change the genre; I _wanted_ to make this story fun, but the plot has other ideas… :/

I hope this chapter finds you readers in good spirits! Enjoy the rest of your week, and please do leave a review if you have the time (remember, if you have the time to tell me you don't like something, please take the time to say how I can improve hehe :P)

Vinaka vakalevu,  
_Thank you very much,_

- QK


	3. An Audience with Mr Morino

**Author's Note: **Anything you recognise doesn't belong to me :)

Special thanks to **dracologistmaster**, **Ddragon21 **for your reviews. This chapter is up thanks to you guys :)

**III**

**An Audience with Mr Morino**

**Outside Konohagakure**

Ume blinked at him as she straightened. She flattened her wide red pants as she stared at him, her hair swaying in the gentle breeze. Several scenarios came to mind as she beheld his lazuli gaze, noting the identical blonde hair and whisker lines that graced the familiar face. She also saw the orange jumpsuit he sported but what caught her attention was the silver of the headband he bore on his forehead glinting in the dim forest light.

The trees shook as blasts sounded from further in the forest. Ume winced as she thought of Entei, Suicune and Raikou. She could not afford to waste time. Mega Charizard was one of the unfortunate Pokémon that had been captured by Professor Orochi and made one of his lab rats. It was said that Professor Orochi did experiments to _enhance_ Pokémon, and she suspected that he had intended such for Mega Charizard. She did not know the extent of Mega Charizard's power, and this thought worried her. Despite his claim that the Three Beasts transported them there, she believed it was _him_.

_He looks like Naruto… but he doesn't __**feel **__like Naruto._

Ume studied his face. Physically, he looked exactly like Naruto, but _spiritually_ she sensed nothing familiar about him at all. What she _did _sense put her on guard. His person betrayed an aura of great strength and he radiated with an energy she had never felt before. She could not put her finger on it, but she deduced enough to know that she had no strength within herself to escape him, even if she tried.

"Who are you and what were those beasts you were with?"

Ume flinched at the callousness of his voice.

_He doesn't know me? _

Lifting her chin stubbornly, she forced her face to assume a nonchalant mask.

"If you don't talk, I'll be forced to take you into custody," he continued seriously, assuming a battle stance.

Ume took as step backwards, her mask faltering under the threat.

_He has no idea who I am._

The realisation turned her cold. He didn't recognise her, and as far as she was concerned, there were a thousand and one reasons why that could be possible. Her fists tightened as she straightened, her eyes hard.

"I am a miko of the Shrine to the Three Legendary Beasts. When you whisked me away, I was in the middle of a confrontation with a rogue Pokémon who was intent on destroying our world until we somehow arrived here; I don't know how I got here, but I have no intention of staying; let me return to the battle so I can finish what brought me here," she finally said.

Naruto continued to stare at her, his brow quivering at her explanation. His jaw hardened as he raised a pointed finger at her.

"Do you expect me to believe you?" he demanded, clearly annoyed at her response.

She had no time to contemplate anything as he lunged for her, leaving her only room to evade his reach before a flash of something silver appeared at her side. Before she could retaliate, light illuminated the air as a blue pulse sent the attacker flying backwards.

The perpetrator Pokémon glowed, its nine tails raised at its back, fur bristling.

"Ninetails…"

Ume did not say anything more as the Pokémon ran to her. By the time Naruto returned to his feet to recover from the attack, the pair had gone. He cursed as he shook his head, slightly dazed from the encounter.

_What was that? I could've sworn that was a fox that attacked me, and as for that girl…_

Naruto moved to launch himself into a run back where he had taken the female from only to be stopped by something that glinted on the forest floor. He hastily bent over to retrieve the object to find a picture half the size of his palm.

He held the photo to the air to catch a clearer glimpse, gasping as his eyes made out the familiar male posed with a confident smile.

_Jiraiya._

**X**

**Outskirts of Konohagakure**

Naruto pulled Sakura through the marketplace with ease, his mind racing with various half-thoughts and recollections that he fought to make sense of. In his encounter with Hinata, she recognised him well enough, but the look she gave him and her apparent shyness was mystifying, not to mention the fact that she was dressed in the most unflattering clothes he had ever seen grace her form.

Then there was Sakura, who too recognised him. But Sakura greeted him with _anger_. He had never seen Sakura angry before, and often made jokes with Ume as to what she would look like if she were. Now that he had witnessed it, he hoped never to encounter such a monstrous fate.

While on the one hand, both females knew him, on the other, they were _not_ the females that he had grown up with. Aside from his friends' strange behaviour, he had yet to see any Pokémon of any shape of form. He was also unfamiliar with the surrounds they were in. He had never seen this marketplace before, and he could not make sense of the fact that Sakura and Hinata were even in the same _place._ Hinata travelled the world and was renowned for never being in the same region for any long period of time.

_Come on, Naruto. You're the famed Pokémon strategist, what is it about all of this that doesn't fit? _

He racked his brains as he rounded another corner, finally on the long strait on the outskirts of the village that would lead him to where Ume waited.

_No Pokémon…_

His eyes caught on the gate that led to the abandoned playground.

_Sakura and Hinata acting strangely…_

He bounded up the steps, throwing the metal gate open as he ran straight for the bush that lay before him.

_Unfamiliar village…_

Sakura screamed, breaking him out of his reverie as he saw Houndoom leap forward, opening its jaw to release a flame of fire.

"Houndoom, no!"

But Naruto had no time to react as he felt the full force of a kick land on his back, sending him flying to the other side of the bush. He choked, whimpering as his view began to swim.

_Did Sakura just kick me?_

Houndoom's growl broke his chain of thought, and panic made him call his Pokémon back before he got hurt too. One thing was for sure, whoever this Sakura was, it was definitely not his Pokémon Co-ordinator friend.

_And Ume should be here too, where is she?_

The thought remained unanswered as the darkness overcame him.

**X**

**Outside Konohagakure**

Ninetails stood on the outskirts of the clearing, its eyes watching the rampant dragon Pokémon as he stood against Suicune, Entei and Raikou, on whose back Ume rode.

"It doesn't have to be like this, Mega Charizard; I am sorry for what you went through at Professor Orochi's hand-"

_Enough!_

Ume braced herself, wrapping her arms around Raikou's neck as the four of them lowered their bodies against the force of wind that whipped against them. The trees immediately around them cracked with the sheer force of the gale as Mega Charizard batted his wings forcefully.

_You stupid girl; you speak as though you understand! You have no idea what he did to us in his laboratory. There was not a day that went past when I wanted nothing more than to die. The chemicals he used, the things he did to make us evolve… no, too many innocent Pokémon died at his hand for me to ignore. I will hunt him down until I find him, and will destroy whatever stands in my way._

The wind stopped momentarily as silence rang in their ears. Ume lifted her pink eyes hesitantly to find Mega Charizard glowering back. She could not help the sickening feeling of guilt pooling in her chest. For years there had been rumours that the rogue Professor Orochi had a secret laboratory hidden somewhere in Johto, but no one knew where. Not until she came across it by chance in Ilex Forest.

_Right under my nose, all this time…_

Mega Charizard's words haunted her.

_Innocent Pokémon __**died**__?_

Her eyes burned as she lowered her head in shame. There was nothing she cherished more than life, be it human or Pokémon, and to realise that it had been brutally taken away from innocent Pokémon struck a chord deep within her.

"Mega Charizard, you have already suffered great pain, and I know you have a lot of anger-"

_No more talking, miko. It will be as I have decided, revenge will be mine!_

A roar filled the atmosphere as Mega Charizard opened its mouth to release Fire Blast which engulfed the air immediately between him and the legendary beasts.

"Suicune, Hydro Pump; Raikou, Thunder!" Ume commanded.

Suicune released a pillar of water from its mouth, and Raikou at its side released its attack as a net of lightening that charged the water. Their attacks collided with the burst of fire, resulting in an eruption of steam that settled around them in a thick fog. Ume squinted through the haze enough to see that Mega Charizard was no longer in front of them.

She lifted her eyes to the sky to find the dark blue expanse devoid of any Pokémon.

_Mega Charizard has traversed again to the Pokémon world and we have no choice but to follow him. _Suicune's voice was as cool as the water he commanded, speaking to her directly through her thoughts.

The mist still floated around them, concealing them from any onlookers. The effect was an eerie one as they stood, the forest nothing but shadows against the veil of vapour that shrouded them.

_We have used a vast amount of our energy following Mega Charizard here, and we have just enough energy to take us home and pursue him there. This includes you Ume._

Ume watched as Entei came to her right hand side, his eyes as solemn as the tone of his voice when he spoke to her.

Suicune nodded at her as she raised a hand to touch the blue crown of his head.

_Your grandfather will be worried about you both; unfortunately if we are to leave, we must do so now. We cannot wait for anyone, not even Naruto. The threat Mega Charizard presents is too great, for all we know, there may be more angry Pokémon like him wandering the forest._

Ume nodded at Suicune as she absently stroked Raikou's dull purple mane

"Do what needs to be done, for the sake of the forest; I will look for Naruto-"

_Find Naruto as soon as you can and come straight here. Because of Mega Charizard, this spot is where the veil that separates our two worlds is at its weakest. You will be able to find the gate, Ume. It will be the one place in this entire world where you will feel the pull of energy belonging to our world._

Ume's eyes hardened, her face becoming pensive as she pursed her lips.

"Spirits willing, I should be able to return by no later than tomorrow evening," she murmured.

Entei, Raikou and Suicune inclined their majestic heads to her as Ume leapt off Raikou's back.

_Your presence in this world may draw other Pokémon through this threshold, so beware miko. This world is unlike ours in many ways. Should any Pokémon find themselves here, it is your duty to protect them until we return. We cannot afford to leave any trace of our world in theirs; the ramifications this would have is not known, therefore it is best we be careful._

The mist began to thin around them, the three legendary beasts following suit as they began to fade into the atmosphere. Ume watched as the outline of Entei, Raikou and Suicune became mere imprints in the air.

It was also at that moment that a shadow of a person appeared before her, materialising as her heart raced in her chest. She stumbled back, the male figure peering at her through dark eyes. Ume took his person in with one glance, unable to dispel the prick of dread she felt in her stomach.

"You're coming with me," was all she heard as she watched the male make swift symbols with his hands in a calculated grace. That was the last she remembered, her mind losing consciousness before her body crumpled to the ground.

**X**

**Konohagakure Intelligence Division**

His entire form ached with stiffness. Naruto groaned, his dry lips cracking as he licked them. His stomach grumbled, his eyes fluttering open as he lifted his heavy head. His eyes narrowed in the dim light of the windowless room. The Pokémon trainer inhaled the air deeply, the smell of sweat filling his nostrils.

He cracked his neck, rotating his head in an attempt to loosen the stiff joints. His hands and arms were numb as they were tied to the chair. There was a table that lay a few feet from him. There he instantly recognised the five red and white balls that lay there alongside his red Pokédex. He also saw his coat and a rectangular device that glinted next to it.

_My phone…_

He jumped, his eyes moving to the door that creaked open. The face he saw forced a gasp from his lips.

"Mr Morino?" he questioned, noting the scars that marked the man's face.

The dark eyes stared at him, devoid of any real emotion Naruto could register. Naruto's furrowed brow evened out as realisation dawned.

_This is all a joke! An intricate joke played by none other than Shikamaru._

Naruto smirked as he shook his head, ignoring Mr Morino as he came to settle on the other side of the table.

"Who are you?"

The voice was cold, causing Naruto to cock a brow at the male.

"Surely you know who I am, Mr Morino, need I explain myself?" he responded confidently.

Mr Morino remained unmoved, moving around the table to settle at his front.

"I will ask one more time; if you fail to answer you leave me with no choice," he replied.

Naruto felt a shiver run down his spine at the older man's response, the light in his blue eyes dimming somewhat.

"Naruto Uzumaki, 16 years old from Ilex Forest in Johto," he murmured as he began to doubt his practical joke theory.

Mr Morino harrumphed disbelievingly as Naruto wriggled his dead arms in an attempt to force feeling into his limbs.

"Who do you work for?"

Naruto glanced at the man he was sure was his teacher from the Pokémon Academy, searching his face for signs that betrayed his cold demeanour.

"Mr Morino, I don't know how Shikamaru managed to get you to assume those scars, but you look absolutely ridiculous. I admit, Sakura, Hinata, and this old fashioned village _almost _had me thrown, _and_ the lack of Pokémon, but I'm over this prank. Untie me now please," Naruto sighed, glancing down at his arms that were fastened to the wooden chair.

The man's brow furrowed as he raised his hands, poised as if he were preparing an attack.

"Mr Morino, tell me Ume is ok. Grandpa would kill me if anything happened to her…"

Ibiki began pressing symbols with his hands, ignoring Naruto's protests until another form joined them in the room. The shinobi froze, his eyes widened as he regarded the appearance of a silver fox. Its tails formed a fan as it sat next to Naruto, the blonde turning with a thin smile to regard the Pokémon.

"Ninetails, where have you been?" he asked simply.

The regal Pokémon responded by sending a psychic wave Naruto recognised as being Psystrike towards Mr Morino. The attack sent him flying, knocking the table with his belongings over with a crash. Naruto watched with wide eyes as Ninetails caught his pokéballs with the blue energy that radiated from the kitsune Pokémon.

When Ibiki stood, his fists clenched as he saw the abandoned chair.

He suspected that the Ume the male had mentioned was the other white haired suspect that was picked up in the forest by one of the shinobi on patrol. His teeth gritted as he headed for the door.

_The imposter managed to escape with the aid of the strange fox creature with what looked to be nine tails. That fox cannot possibly be the Nine-Tailed beast that is sealed in Naruto._

Ibiki shook his head as a frown planted itself firmly on his lips.

_This should have been straight forward, but I am beginning to suspect that this Naruto may not be the spy I assumed him to be in the first instance._

**X**

Ibike sat opposite the female, his dark eyes boring into the pink gaze that accepted his a little too easily. He watched as her eyes shone under the intensity of his gaze, causing a strange sensation in his chest. He was used to tears in interrogations, but they usually came as a result of pain, and as it stood, he had yet to lay a finger or jutsu on her.

"Tell me, Mr Morino, what is it that you want from me?" she asked finally, her chin trembling slightly as she sat with her arms strapped to her side against the wooden frame of the chair.

_Mr Morino, exactly what that imposter called me earlier…_

"Who are you?" he commanded, his deep voice deadly calm.

She stared at him, blinking away the bright glaze of her eyes as she went to reply.

_She is afraid of me… good; perhaps this will be easier than I first thought._

"My name is Ume and I am a miko of the Shrine to the Three Legendary Beasts; I live in Ilex Forest with my grandfather," she replied.

_Ilex Forest? No such place exists in the Land of Fire, not unless it is located in another country._

"Those beasts you were seen with, did you summon them?" he continued patiently.

The miko's brow flickered momentarily as she hesitated, something which the master interrogator picked up on quickly.

_Choose your words carefully, miko; I will know whether you are lying or not._

"Those beasts are not _beasts_, they are Pokémon, and I was only responsible for summoning three of them; the fourth is a rogue Pokémon that brought us here in the first place," she responded, her eyes lowering to the ground.

Ibiki circled her to stand at her back, his eyes staring at her long hair that fell in a cascade of white, covering the back of the chair.

_Pokémon; no intelligence in memory has ever made mention of such creatures…_

"I know my presence is suspicious Mr Morino, and call me a fool for doing so, but because I know you in another place and time as one of my favourite teachers, I will answer you as truthfully as I can," she continued, causing Ibiki's eyes to widen a fraction.

_Again with Mr Morino. Both she and the imposter called me by that name… yet I have never met them._

"I captured your friend-"

"You had _Naruto_?" she cried, her head snapping up.

_Even she refers to him by that name; if that other Naruto had been a spy, he would have made an effort to assimilate into the village. From Sakura's account of how she met him, he dressed and acted differently from how the real Naruto did, and it did not take her long to realise that the Naruto she met up with was not the Naruto she knew._

"Tell me, what do you know about Naruto," he murmured.

A small silence settled.

"His parents died when he was a child and my grandfather was left with him, so he was raised as my brother," she explained.

Ibiki strode past her left side, his hand moving to his pocket as he came to stand at her front. His senses alerted him to a disturbance in the room, and just as before, the silver fox reappeared in the interrogation room.

The female's eyes turned to the creature at her side that stood on its four paws, ready to launch another attack. Ibiki was one step ahead this time, pressing his hands together swiftly only to be stopped by the still small voice of his prisoner.

"No, Ninetails, don't attack him; leave without me, I'll be fine," she said simply.

Ibiki looked to the silver creature with blue tips for its tails, his brow quivering as he hesitated with the last hand symbol that would complete the jutsu.

"_Go_," she commanded firmly. The Pokémon lingered hesitantly for a moment longer before it faded into the air once more.

Ibiki simply stared at her as the fox faded into the air.

**X**

**Author's Notes:**

1. Thanks for reading thus far; I will update once I have received three reviews for the chapter (if I don't get 3 reviews, don't expect an update LOL :P)

2. Ume's character: apologies for not explaining Ume's character better. She is a miko or Shrine Maiden, and in anime miko's are depicted as having special divination powers and a connection with the spirit realm, being able to dispel evil spirits etc.  
In Ume's case, she can read and sense the energy of Pokémon in general and can detect when one is nearby, hence her ability to sense that she was no longer in the Pokémon world in chapter 2: because she couldn't sense any Pokémon, she came to this conclusion.  
This does not mean that she knows that there are many other world in existence, all she knows is that she's _not_ in the Pokémon world.

3. Ugh… I know this story is getting Ume-heavy; I hope to rectify this balance somewhat in the upcoming chapters; apologies for any OOC-ness as well, this was a hard chapter for me to write :/

4. Apologies for any confusion around the flashbacks in Chapter 2; I intend to reference them in future chapters (thanks Ddragon21 for the feedback)

5. Questions? Comments? Don't like it? Be honest :) and I'll respond honestly too; I am nowhere near being a perfect author, so this is a work in progress.

Stay safe! Enjoy your wintry/summery days; the sun has been kind to us here in the Southern Hemisphere. See you in a week's/three review's time :)

- QK


	4. Lady Hokage

**Author's Note: **Anything you recognise doesn't belong to me :)

Special thanks to **dracologistmaster**, **Agaard **and **Guest **for your reviews. This long chapter is for you my friends.

**IV**

**Lady Hokage**

Naruto fell to his knees with a thud, his entire body aching from the bindings that had held him. The ground was damp, and his eyes opened to filter in the still dark sky visible beyond the shadows of the treetops.

"Ninetails, what just happened?" Naruto croaked as he struggled to stand, clutching onto a nearby tree trunk for support.

_You were being interrogated._

"By Mr Morino?" he asked doubtfully, cocking a brow.

_Surely you haven't failed to notice the strange village you were roaming, and the absence of Pokémon?_

Naruto turned his eyes to his Pokémon uncertainly, remembering his thought that he was being fooled by Shikamaru.

"But I saw Sakura, Hinata and even Mr Morino, and the girls recognised me well enough…" he murmured, his stare becoming thoughtful.

_You are in a different world, Naruto, where you have identical counterparts._

Naruto went to scoff but memories of his encounters with Sakura, Hinata and Mr Morino flashed to mind. He had suspected that they were acting strangely, but to think they had been transported to an entirely different _world? _The strange behaviour, the village setting, the odd clothing, the lack of advanced technology… the list of discrepancies began to compile before his eyes finally widened.

"Mega Charizard…" he thought aloud, to which Ninetails nodded.

_He brought us here somehow after escaping from the laboratory. Where we are standing right now is where the veil between our worlds is weakest._

Naruto's eyes adjusted in the slight darkness, witnessing several decapitated trees with bare limbs, broken branches and singed foliage. The grass that was once lush had only patches of green to show for what it, the majority of the surviving grass burnt. The ground was uneven with potholes of various sizes scattered throughout the clearing, the entire scene alluding to the battle that had been fought there mere hours before.

"Another world… does this then mean _I_ have a counterpart too?" Naruto asked, glancing at Ninetails that stared at the battle site.

_He took Ume, and I managed to save her from him._

Naruto stared at Ninetails, unsure of what to make of the statement. She had to be _saved_ from this other Naruto? His brow furrowed as he finally noticed that he had yet to see Ume.

"Where is she?" he asked stiffly, glancing around the clearing.

Ninetails raised itself on its four paws.

_She's with Mr Morino; I need to get her._

Naruto's brows were raised in initial shock before narrowing in a heated glare.

"Then go get her Ninetails!" he commanded, the vulpine Pokémon disappearing into the air.

A few moments passed as Naruto's heartbeat began to race.

_If anything happens to her…_

Naruto paused as the air began to shimmer before him, his eyes watching the Pokémon materialise alone. Naruto looked on either side of the creature before turning to look around the chaotic clearing.

"Where is she?" he asked with a voice more demanding than he intended to let on.

Ninetails rested on its hind legs calmly, ignoring its trainer's burning gaze.

_She said to leave her behind._

Naruto froze, his mind initially blanking at the response. The phrase echoed in his mind, his senses attempting to make sense of the information relayed to him. Ninetails watched as the colour drained from the blonde's face.

"What do you _mean_ she told you to leave her?" Naruto exploded.

The kitsune Pokémon sat perfectly calm as the trainer threw his arms into the air, his brow creased with fury. The dark blue of the evening sky had almost faded as the embers of the rising sun lit the horizon. Ninetails watched as Naruto began to pace furiously.

_All she said was that she had a plan, and told me to leave her in custody, but return with you at noon. _

Naruto paused mid step, turning to shoot Ninetails an incredulous look.

"At _noon?_ Where is she?" he demanded, his fists shaking as he fought to calm himself down.

_She is in the exact same position you were in when I retrieved you._

Naruto kicked the air furiously as he turned on his Pokémon, his eyes ablaze.

"You mean to tell me that Ume is being tied up and questioned like some sort_ of criminal?"_ he shouted angrily, his echo carrying his complaint throughout the forest.

_She told me to say that she will be fine, but she will wait for you at noon. Trust her, Naruto._

Ninetails peered at its trainer, blinking several times.

"I should have never left," he said in a cold voice, lowering his head as he suppressed a sigh.

_You had no idea she was in there, and you underestimate Ume; she is much stronger than you think._

Naruto was silent for a few moments before raising his darkened eyes to regard his Pokémon companion. His form relaxed somewhat as he breathed through his nostrils, the anger melting from his limbs. He needed to be composed, not temperamental, he thought.

"I am not questioning her strength, Ninetails, I'm _concerned _for her safety; these people are savages," he argued, picturing first Sakura and her lethal kick and then Mr Morino and his scarred face.

_They are only savages because they are suspicious of you and your presence with us Pokémon. This world has no such creatures; of course they would be on guard._

Ninetails' sage response was met with a snort as Naruto glanced up at the sky.

"And just how are we meant to get home?" he asked, a hint of desperation tainting his cool voice.

_Ume is our key home. She will return here, to where the veil has been torn between our worlds and she will summon the three legendary beasts. Only they have energy enough to cross the threshold and take us home._

Naruto shook his head before holding his head in his hands.

"She should've just come with you when you went to get her," he muttered.

_Perhaps, but when Suicune, Entei and Raikou crossed back over, they informed us that they had only enough energy to return home. I suspect Ume would have realised that even if she did come with me, we would have all been caught again by the strange people of the village._

Naruto released a heavy sigh that became a mist in the cool morning air.

"Then what are we meant to do?"

_Wait_, _and_ _trust the reason Ume has decided to stay behind._

Naruto remained unresponsive as sat down on the ground. He leant his back against the tree trunk that stood behind him, his eyes closing on their own volition. He slipped into a light sleep, haunted by the images of a female with the dark pink eyes.

**X**

**Hokage's Office**

Ibiki bowed formally before the blonde female seated at her desk, straightening to find her brown eyes meeting his directly.

"What do you have to report?" she asked simply, her hands folded at her front.

The early morning sun filtered through the glass behind the current Hokage, illuminating her golden hair and giving her an air of purity. Shizune stood faithfully at her side, regarding the man expectantly.

"The male that Sakura presented to us, the one who looks exactly like Naruto, managed to escape the interrogation room with the aid of one of the beasts-"

"He _what?!_" Tsunade demanded, her eyes narrowing.

Ibiki bowed his head briefly, remarking silently on the irony of the halo around her head contrasting with the reality of the person Lady Tsunade was.

"He escaped with the aid of a nine tailed beast with some sort of power that allowed it to teleport out of the room as it did in," he added, his eyes still lowered as he heard the scraping of her chair.

"A male who looks like Naruto was found roaming around the Marketplace; he was dressed differently, and made no effort to try and conform; he approached Hinata and was then approached by Sakura who then realised that it was _not_ the real Naruto…" Tsunade thought aloud, repeating the brief that had been prepared for her about the possible spies.

"My lady, he also referred to me as 'Mr Morino' in the short time I detained him. He had on his person several objects of technology far more advanced than anything I have seen, and at one stage in the interview he seemed convinced that he was party to a practical joke being played on him by Shikamaru," Ibiki relayed.

Tsunade's forehead furrowed with thought as she turned away from the shinobi, her hands behind her back.

"What about the other intruder, the female?" Shizune probed from where she stood.

Ibiki met her eyes evenly, his brow quivering with hesitation as he glanced from the Hokage's assistant to the Hokage herself.

"She claims to be Jiraiya's granddaughter," Ibiki said simply.

**X  
**_**  
A few hours earlier**_

**Konohagakure Intelligence Division**

"_That beast-"_

"_It's called a _Pokémon_, Mr Morino, please refer to them as such; that Pokémon is called Ninetails and belongs to Naruto, who I am guessing was here not too long ago," Ume spoke, wincing as she tried to wriggle her numb torso._

_Ibiki lowered his raised arms, frowning. He inspected the slim female seated before him. Her eyelids drooped, her white bangs plastered against her damp forehead. Her white kimono top was now brown with stains, as were the red pants which were now more maroon in colour. She opened her pink eyes slightly, cocking her head to the right as she moved her shoulder in an attempt to relieve an itch._

"_How did it manage to appear in the room like that?" Ibiki questioned, his voice steady but his mind churning in turmoil._

She is obviously tired, and yet I have only detained her in the chair for an hour or so. Physically speaking, she has displayed the endurance of any normal villager who is not a shinobi, which is not much endurance at all.

"_It has the ability to Teleport; Pokémon come in a variety of different forms with different abilities…" she offered feebly, her eyes closing slowly._

"_No sleep, not until you tell me why you're here," Ibiki barked._

_Ume jumped, her eyes flying open with a start to meet his serious gaze. Her eyes shone momentarily before the moisture that was there was banished with a forced blink._

"_Naruto and I ended up in this world entirely by accident; Mega Charizard, the rogue Pokémon I talked about earlier, somehow tore the veil between our world and yours and we are stuck here," Ume replied._

_Ibiki's eyes widened a fraction._

This Naruto is from another world? Is that even possible?

"_It's why we know you, Morino Ibiki sir; like I said earlier, in my world you were our teacher at the Pokémon Academy; you were my favourite teacher," she continued, her eyes welling without restraint._

Her claim sounds preposterous, and yet with all these 'Pokémon' as she calls them, and the appearance of the strange fox like creature, as well as the spitting image of Naruto… is there truth in her claim?

_Ibiki tore his eyes away from her, refusing to be unaffected by her emotion._

"_Naruto apprehended you first in the forest, is that correct?" Ibiki asked._

"_Yes," Ume muttered glumly as she inhaled deeply._

"_He says he had an encounter with you, and was about to bring you here until a silver creature appeared…"_

"_That would have been Ninetails; Naruto… _your_ Naruto… something about his spirit put me on guard, something dark about him deep within his soul," she replied as her eyes lowered._

"_What are you people, fighters of some sort? Ninja? Even you, Mr Morino, your presence bears great power radiating from within you… it is a strange energy I have never felt before; it is an energy that none of us from my world possess," she added before raising her eyes to his._

"_That is the energy I felt you attempting to channel into your hands as you pressed those symbols; I dreaded what you would summon, Mr Morino, so I am thankful Ninetails appeared, otherwise I suspect I would be in a worse situation than what I am in now." Ume laughed humourlessly before meeting his gaze evenly._

A miko, of course she has an affinity with things spiritual. It is clear the energy she speaks of is chakra, yet she claims to have never felt anything like it before.

_Ibiki felt in his pocket for the picture Naruto handed to him, the one that was left behind in his encounter with the creature, Ninetails as Ume referred to it, and the miko. Naruto swore it was not his, and that he had never seen it before, so the question begged to be asked._

"_Tell me, is this your picture?" Ibiki questioned, producing the self-portrait of Jiraiya smiling. _

_Ibiki watched with interest as her face softened._

"_He hates photos, but on my first day at the Pokémon Academy I refused to go, so my grandfather gave me that picture of him to comfort me, saying that he would always… be with me," she whispered, a tear slithering down her soot-marked cheek._

"_Ever since that day, I've kept that picture with me," she finished, before hanging her head._

_Ibiki's eyes widened as he glanced at the photo of one of the legendary Sannin. _

Granddaughter? Jiraiya died a bachelor…

"_Tell me, Mr Morino, do you know my grandfather in this world?" came a deadly quiet voice._

"_We are not here to discuss anything other-"_

"_And I have answered you as honestly as I can, please just tell me if you know him," she persisted with an edge in her voice._

_Perhaps it was the softness of her voice, or the fact that his gut was telling him that the girl was no threat at all, but whatever it was, Ibiki indulged his prisoner before taking his leave._

"_I do; I_ did_ know him; he was a great man," he replied coolly._

_The comment was said with such finality that it pierced Ume's heart as her eyes widened dramatically._

I did know him, he was a great man.

_A silence settled in the room as Ibiki left, marred only by the soft sobs of the captured miko._

**X**

**Konohagakure Town Centre**

Naruto materialised with his kitsune Pokémon at his side to the sound of loud chatter and noise filling their ears. The smell of fried foods greeted their noses as the blonde simply nodded at his Pokémon companion.

"You may rest now Ninetails," he murmured.

The Pokémon inclined its silver head before fading into the air, leaving Naruto standing alone in the shadows of the abandoned alleyway. His blue eyes locked in on the sample of stalls he saw lined ahead, and the stream of people that wandered past.

_Perhaps not the smartest of ideas, but the only one I have to get to Ume._

Naruto inhaled calmly through his nose before proceeding to leave the shadows and stride towards the swarming marketplace. His plan had initially been simple enough: get Ninetails to transport him to wherever Ume was being detained. From there, he would have transported her back to the forest to the portal where they would then summon Suicune, Entei and Raikou and would be home free.

Unfortunately for him, Ninetails was exhausted. It had only enough energy to transport him to one place but could not guarantee safe passage for return for itself, Naruto and Ume. It made sense, Naruto realised, and so his plan was simplified further: be teleported into the village marketplace and find a way of getting to Ume. The easiest, and most foolish, way of doing that was to make a commotion. He smiled smugly as he reached into his trench coat pocket, feeling for the five pokéballs there.

"If I'm going to be detained, it may as well be done in style," he murmured as he threw one of the balls into the air.

"Let's go Arcanine," he called as the alleyway was momentarily illuminated by the appearance of the large canine Pokémon.

Patting his beige fur, Naruto leapt onto the Pokémon's back, his ankles gently nudging Arcanine's sides as he settled himself on his neck.

"Let's see how long it takes for us to get caught," he whispered as the pair jogged headlong into the Marketplace.

It didn't take long at all, Naruto realised as a grey head began tailing them from behind. Naruto smirked. He would have fun first, he decided as he commanded Arcanine to increase his speed. He may have been a large Pokémon, but what his chasers did not know was that he was incredibly fast.  
It was only a matter of seconds before the pair found themselves at the gate of the village. Turning on Arcanine, Naruto knew he only had a few moments before his trackers would appear.

"Can't have you being taken Arcanine, return," he murmured, holding his pokéball out before pocketing it again in time to see the cavalry that had come after him.

Without any clear expression on his face, Naruto held his hands up as the grey head approached him. Unable to retain himself, he gasped, his eyes roving over the familiar face.

"_Kakashi?_" he yelped, blinking his eyes, "Is that you under that _thing_?" he yelped, gesturing towards the lower half of his face as the male dismissed his comment completely.

"You're coming with me," he said coolly as he found himself surrounded by other faces he recognised, specifically Shikamaru and Ino .

He didn't bother to greet the others. He needed to remember that this was not his world, no matter how much the people resembled those he called his friends.

"As you wish," he relented as Shikamaru detained him.

"It seems the Hokage will be seeing you and your friend," he muttered as they escorted him.

"You try anything funny, and I'll deal to you personally," Ino warned on his other side.

Naruto closed his lips automatically, merely thankful that his juvenile plot had worked.

_I'll be alright as soon as I can see Ume again._

The thought kept him sober as they moved swiftly through the street.

**X**

**Konohagakure Intelligence Division**

Ume sat on the hard bench, her eyes sore and swollen as she stared at the bars that were closed against her. Her head was light and ached, but not as much as her chest. Raising a hand, she clamped it over the material that covered her heart, her eyes watering again.

_Jiraiya is dead in this world, Naruto here doesn't know me, Mr Morino didn't know me either… do I even exist in this world?_

She closed her eyes as the tears came involuntarily. She cried out of sheer exhaustion; she cried for the death of her grandfather in the present world; but most of all she cried for Mega Charizard and all the innocent Pokémon that had died and her failure to prevent it.

Her ears pricked at the sound of the iron door opening at the far end of the cell block. Something akin to hope budded in her chest. Despite the dire situation, she could not help but be hopeful; it was the only thing keeping her sane. A silhouette appeared at the bars, causing her eyes to narrow in the light as the person slid the door open with a clang.

"Ume, there is someone who wants to speak with you," the deep voice informed.

Going to her feet, she wavered momentarily, her stomach grumbling. A firm hand caught her wrist, and glancing up at the male she offered a genuine smile.

"Thank you, Mr Morino; I knew you weren't as unpleasant as you were playing yourself to be," she murmured, leaning against him involuntarily.

Summoning the Legendary Beasts against Mega Charizard, being transported to another world, having no sleep or food and being interrogated had taken its toll on her. She suspected, however, that her interrogation could have been far worse.

"I hope you don't mind me leaning, Mr Morino, I'm just a little tired," she said quietly as she was escorted to the door.

Ibiki was unsure of what to make of the foreign feeling in his chest. This female had no reason to trust him, but because he _reminded _her of someone she knew, she did; the logic was flawed on every level and her naïveté only further confirmed his suspicion that she was not a spy at all.

_And her claim that she is Jiraiya's granddaughter; it's comforting to know that he managed to find happiness in another world if this is true._

Ibiki silently affirmed his conclusion of the female as he went to open the door that would lead to one of the spare rooms where the Hokage waited.

"We are here, Ume," he spoke as he opened the door.

Ume lifted her head to see a barely furnished room with nothing but a table at its centre and windowless, much like the interrogation room. Ume shivered.

"Here she is, my lady," Ibiki murmured as he gently separated himself from the younger female.

Ume flashed a brief smile at him before turning to bow before the Hokage. Seeing her face to face turned her blood cold. Ume's pink gaze widened as Tsunade stood, her brown eyes taking in her entire form.

"So, _you_ are the miko that was found in our forest last night," she greeted, her gaze intense.

Ume nodded dumbly as she swallowed in anticipation.

"Ibiki tells me that you claim to be from another world, one where powerful beasts who can control elements exist," she began, her face unreadable.

"You call these beasts _Pokémon_ and they come in various forms with differing abilities, is this correct?" she continued, to which Ume inclined her head.

"You appeared in our world after one of these so-called _Pokémon_ tore a veil between our two worlds, hence your appearance," she added in a matter-of-fact voice.

Ume could only stare at her, her brow furrowed.

"Ibiki has already told me, but I am interested to hear from you who _you _are," she finished, her eyes boring into hers.

Ume cleared her throat, very aware of the powerful energy the female harboured before her.

"My name is Ume and I am a miko to a shrine in my world dedicated to the Three Legendary Beasts," she replied in a small voice, unable to shake the sheer dread she felt standing opposed to such great _power_ that dripped off her limbs.

Tsunade opened her mouth to answer, only to be interrupted by a knock that sounded on the door. Tsunade glanced at Ibiki who nodded, moving to open the door. A muffled exchange was heard before Ibiki turned back to the Hokage.

"Lady Tsunade, Kakashi has brought the other intruder here with him," he informed, at which Ume's eyes brightened a fraction.

Before she could respond, a commotion occurred outside as the door fell open to reveal a blue and yellow shaped creature charging the air around it. Tsunade watched as the creature bounded to Ume's side, the sight of it causing her to turn to see Naruto running towards her.

"Ume!" he cried as he crushed the female into his arms.

"Oh Naruto!" she breathed, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Ume inhaled him in, unable to quell the tears that started in her eyes as she buried her face in his shoulder.

"It's okay, Ume, I'm here now and I promise you we will get out of here as soon as we can," Naruto cooed, cradling the whimpering female as he stroked her head gingerly.

Tsunade watched with mixed emotion, tearing her eyes away from the strange creature alongside the pair of intruders to the two sharing a hug. The door closed behind them again as Ibiki glanced over at the Hokage before looking towards Naruto.

"Lady Tsunade-"

"Leave them, Ibiki; I will speak to them both here," she replied, breaking the reunion as Ume turned in Naruto's arms to face Tsunade.

"Tsunade?" Naruto whispered, glancing at Ume who gave him a stern look.

"_Lady_ Tsunade," Ume corrected before anyone else had a chance to. Disentangling herself from her brother, she turned to regard the lady referred to as the Hokage.

"Everything you have said has been correct; this is Naruto, the boy raised as my brother. He lives with me and my grandfather at the Shrine when he is not travelling the Pokémon world," Ume began, Naruto bowing formally before her.

"Lady Tsunade, apologies for the rude intrusion, but I have been worried sick about Ume. Our grandfather would be mightily displeased if he ever learned that I failed to look after her," Naruto explained with a touch of emotion.

Tsunade looked between the pair, her face perfectly devoid of any expression, which was a complete contrast to the questions that plagued her mind.

_This Naruto, and this Ume character; I see why Ibiki was hesitant to label them as spies or threats; seeing them here, interacting as such, no spy or threat would act such a way, especially if they wanted to destroy Konoha… but I still have questions..._

Tsunade produced a photograph, thrusting it towards them.

"Who is this person?" she demanded, Naruto's eyes widening as he glanced from the photo to Ume.

"That is our grandfather, my lady," Naruto answered for the pair, Manectric sparking in agreement at their side.

_Jiraiya is their grandfather… in another world?_

"I thought you'd know, Lady Tsunade-"

"Naruto, do you have your Pokédex?" Ume suddenly interrupted, at which Naruto frowned at.

"Yes I do," he replied, reaching into his trench coat to produce a red contraption.

"Further proof of our world, my lady; this is a Pokédex, a small pocket device that a Pokémon Trainer like myself uses on my travels. When I come across any Pokémon, I use this to get more information on it. Here you go, my lady, try it on Manectric," he urged, surrendering the object to the female.

Tsunade took it into her hands, her brow creased at the piece of technology. Ibiki had been right. She had never seen technology like this before. It was a perfect size for her palms and surprisingly lightweight despite its size. The lights flickered on the device as the screen came to life. Holding it towards the creature, she almost jumped at the strange voice that sounded.

"Manectric, the Discharge Pokémon. Manectric has the ability to gather local electrical energy in its mane, and then discharge it, creating thunder clouds."

Tsunade's eyes widened.

"Lady Tsunade, I know our presence is suspicious but I assure you, Naruto and I mean no harm to you or your vill-"

Ume's voice faltered as her knees gave way, Naruto catching her in his arms.

"Forgive me, Lady Tsunade, I seem to be tired…" she whispered before closing her eyes.

Tsunade's eyes moved to the still figure in the blonde's arms, noting the great concern plastered on his features as he cradled her form awkwardly.

"With all respect, Lady Tsunade, Ume is exhausted and needs some rest; we have no right to ask this of you, but could you please see that she gets some medical attention? I can't risk her being hurt," Naruto requested calmly.

Tsunade stared at the male, genuinely surprised at his demeanour and request.

_There are flashes of him that I recognise as being our Naruto, and yet, it is clear to anyone that knows Naruto well that this male is not him at all._

"I know you have many questions, but I assure you that once we have had a little rest, we will answer them all," he concluded before meeting her eyes confidently.

Ibiki and Tsunade shared a look before the Hokage finally relented.

"You may go, but this is not over yet," Tsunade replied, nodding at Ibiki who opened the door.

An unimpressed Kakashi stood at the frame, glaring first at Naruto before giving the same stare towards Manectric.

"Sorry Kakashi, but I had to get to her," Naruto apologised, fumbling in his pocket for a circular object.

The three adults watched curiously as he held the red and white ball out, pointing the white button towards the creature.

"Return, Manectric," he commanded, the witnesses watching with a mixture of curiosity and awe as the creature melted into the red beam that returned it to its round cage.

Slipping the ball into his pocket, he lifted Ume into his arms, her head resting against his shoulder as he headed for the door.

"Kakashi, take them to the hospital and make sure they are seen to. Stay with them for the morning until I assign someone to watch them permanently," Tsunade commanded.

Naruto grimaced as he followed the grey head.

_I know I always wondered what Granny would've been like if she was still alive, but now that I've met her in this world, she's actually rather intimidating. I wonder if she was like that in our world._

His face assumed a thoughtful expression, the trio rounding the corner of the hallway headed for the exit. Naruto could not help but feel that from that moment on, things were about to get more interesting for the both of them.

**X**

**Author's Notes:**

**1. **Thanks for reading this chapter! :) Same note as always: **no update until 3 reviews are received **;) it is what it is people, and if I don't get reviews, that's cool… it just means a longer wait until the next chapter can be uploaded :P (and more time for me to write LOL)

**2. **Apologies for OOC-ness of any characters; I tried to make this as realistic as possible, hence the drawn out interrogation, blah blah – who wouldn't be suspicious of two strangers, one who looked exactly like Naruto, the other claiming to be a dead Sannin's granddaughter, with powerful beasts at their disposal? Lol. Also I know the writing is a bit choppy, so apologies dear readers; the next chapter will hopefully be better :)

**3. **Hopefully more Pokémon in the next chapter? Maybe not. At the rate this story is going, it should hopefully be wrapped up in 4, no more than 5 chapters.

**4. **Again, comments are appreciated. Anything to help improve the story is appreciated.

**5. **Long chapter, sorry friends, hopefully the future ones aren't as long (for my sake LOL :P).

Look after yourselves! Enjoy what remains of winter/summer… it's summer for me, and I'll be enjoying the last of its days at the beach hopefully :)

Take care,

- QK


	5. Recovery

**Author's Note: **Anything you recognise doesn't belong to me :)

Special thanks to **dracologistmaster**, **Avion570**, **hunter994x**, and**Agaard **for your reviews. This chapter is for you lovely people ;)

(Early chapter upload this week; I've decided to make regular weekly updates in the middle of the week - thanks :D)

The chapter has a little bit of this and a little bit of that... you'll see what I mean soon enough; just warning you, it may be weird in some parts :P you can shoot me after ;)

**V**

**Recovery**

**Konoha Hospital**

Naruto sunk into the padded seat gratefully, his eyes closing briefly as he enjoyed the warm sunlight tickling his clean features. He had exchanged his previous clothing for loose green pants and a black long sleeved shirt that he'd rolled up at the arms. Stretching his arms above his head, a yawn escaped his lips as his eyes flicked open again. Glancing at the door, he was not surprised to find the calm grey-haired Kakashi leaning against the exit seemingly unaware of either him or his sister.

Turning his gaze back to his foster sister, he smiled gently as his eyes looked over her lightly tanned face. Someone had checked on her while he had been in the shower, he guessed, because she was no longer wearing her soiled miko clothing. She was dressed instead in a simple shift, although her hair was still a little matted, he suspected that she would shower properly when she awoke.

He took a general sweep of the room again, noting the lack of any technology he would have expected in a hospital back in their world. He saw a clipboard at the end of Ume's bed, and aside from the seat he sat on and the small bedside dresser on the opposite side of the bed, the pale vanilla room was empty of any other furniture. His blue eyes caught on the quaint tapestry that hung on the wall directly opposite him. It was an embroidered portrait, the bright red thread shaped in a thick spiral at is centre before becoming a flame.

_What a strange symbol. It's a flame, but what does it mean?_

Naruto pondered the image as his eyes became heavy, his head slowly lowering against his chest as the image of the flame burned in his mind.

From where he stood at the door, Kakashi opened an eyelid to cast a glance at the gently snoring blonde head. Despite himself, he could not help but marvel at the similarities between this Naruto and the Naruto he knew well.

_If it is true that he and this girl are from another world, what does this mean for the village, for the world as a whole?_

From what little Kakashi had seen of the male, there was no reason for him to be labelled as an enemy, aside from when he summoned his little creature to electrocute him. Kakashi's face frowned at the recollection as he shook his head. Friend or foe, there was one thing Kakashi _was _sure of.

_They can't stay here forever._

With that thought, the jōnin-level shinobi closed his eyes, his mind's eye completely aware of the surroundings. Neither person would be able to move a finger without his knowledge. He suppressed a sigh as he tried not to think of how long he would possibly end up babysitting the pair before he would be relieved.

_Someone will be here soon enough._

**X**

**Hokage's Office**

"Did you get any information on those spies?" Naruto asked breathlessly, bursting into the room to find the Hokage seated at her desk.

Tsunade massaged her temple as she lowered the papers in her hand to meet eyes with the young shinobi.

"Naruto-"

"Why did the girl have a picture of Jiraiya? And is it true that the other looks _just_ like me?" he added, his brow firm with decisiveness.

The older female stood from her desk, and instead of facing Naruto she turned to face the windows instead, her hands folded at her back.

"From what we've learnt so far about the pair, they both claim to come from another world," she began, Naruto's face assuming a confused expression as she continued.

"The female claims to be Jiraiya's granddaughter, and the male claims to be Naruto, or from what I have worked out, your _counterpart_ in this other world."

Naruto stood silently behind the blonde, his mind fighting to make sense of what was being said to him. Another _world? _He shook his head. He was anxious to see the Hokage that morning, anxious for answers as to who the pair were, why they were there, and more importantly, Jiraiya's connection with them. As he stood there, he began to realise that there was perhaps more to the situation than what he had first thought.

"But Granny, what do you mean by another _world? _That sounds impossible..." he thought aloud, his mind flashing with images of his encounter with the white haired miko. He caught her red-handed summoning the powerful beasts in the forest and captured her, suspecting her to be a threat to the village.

"Those beasts..." he added before Tsunade turned to face him directly.

"Those beasts exactly, Naruto. The few shinobi that witnessed the beasts have all claimed that they have never seen any of the like before, and during their interrogation, both suspects claimed that the beasts are called _Pokémon_ and that they vary in abilities and forms," she added, to which Naruto paused.

_Pokémon? But we know of many shinobi that can summon different beasts..._

As if reading his thoughts, the Hokage reached for one of her drawers, retrieving a red object of the technological likes Naruto was totally unfamiliar with.

"The male, the one who looks exactly like you, gave me this device as proof of the existence of Pokémon, and him, in another place," she explained, pushing the device towards Naruto.

Curiosity compulsed him to retrieve the device. Holding it in his hands, he turned the device over in his palm, running his fingers along the smooth crimson metal. Turning it on its front, he flicked it open, the small black screen coming to life as it scanned his features.

"Welcome Trainer Naruto Uzumaki," the mechanical voice chimed, Naruto blinking as his mirror image appeared on the screen.

"Currently on your person you have Ninetails, Absol, Manectric, Arcanine, Houndoom and Fearow."

Naruto watched with awe and confusion as six small portraits of different beasts appeared alongside his.

"Current location: unknown, last known Pokémon Centre visit: Azalea Town, last Pokémon viewed with Pokédex: Manectric."

Naruto blinked as he stared at the screen that was now reading the information it had just spoken. He closed the device, his forehead knitted as he placed the object back onto the Hokage's desk. A few moments of silence passed as Naruto began to realise what the presence of the device possibly meant.

"So they're _not_ spies..." Naruto finally said, breaking the stillness with his uncertain statement.

"From what they have told us and from our own observations, we do not have any reason to believe that they are spies, but we still have some questions that need answers," Tsunade replied before she resumed her seat at her desk.

Naruto glanced at the Hokage, fighting to contain the curiosity that now plagued him.

"So, then, this guy that looks like me... he _is _me?" he questioned tentatively, his mind still in a state of bewilderment.

"Apparently so, in another world."

Naruto's mind took him back to the night he'd apprehended the female, more importantly to the photo that he'd found in her place when she escaped him.

"And the female..."

"Jiraiya's granddaughter, in another world," Tsunade repeated, still coming to terms with the idea that her deceased friend had managed to settle down in another place and time.

"Granny, where are they now?" he asked simply, Tsunade's chain of thought broken as she blinked at him.

"They are recuperating in the hospital in the meantime. When they are well enough, we will get to the bottom of _how_ they appeared here and ultimately see how they can return to their world," she responded, watching as Naruto bowed before her.

"They are currently under Kakashi's watch, and will be under surveillance until they are well enough to see me again. I have already assigned a few others to keep watch over them-"

"Can I be assigned?" Naruto asked suddenly, his eyes eager.

Tsunade met his gaze evenly.

"I'm afraid until I am completely certain of who they are and why they are here, I think it would be best that you stay away from them," she advised sagely.

Naruto tried not to look disappointed as he forced a smile.

"I understand Granny, but once they've been cleared..."

Tsunade sighed as she relented, "Once they are both cleared then I do not see any reason for you not to be involved in helping them find a way home, but until then, you are not to approach them Naruto."

Naruto nodded before he headed out the door once more, his mind still coming to terms about what the Hokage had just told him.

_Jiraiya has a granddaughter in another world, and that other guy is actually me?_

Naruto sighed as he opened the door, stepping into the hallway as he closed the door behind him with a click.

_And what's a Trainer? That red thing Granny gave me greeted me as a Trainer with my full name..._

The blonde male retreated, left now with more questions circling his mind than those he had arrived with.

**X**

**Ilex Forest - Johto**

The forest passed his eyes in a blur of dark colours as Jiraiya lowered against the legendary Pokémon. It had almost been an entire day since Ume and Naruto had disappeared, and it had taken the greater part of his resolve to trust that for the time being they would be alright. Ilex Forest was a wreck on the southern end where Professor Orochi's lab had been discovered, and he was nearing exhaustion trying to locate the Professor's whereabouts.

Jiraiya's forehead creased considerably as he thought of the professor who had once been his friend many years before. The pale faced boy with a bowl cut from his preteens appeared in his mind, as did his younger face and the face of the girl who had loved him from day one, even when he didn't love her. They all grew up in Azalea Town together and embarked on their journey travelling through Johto and Kanto. Jiraiya's dream was to be a renowned Pokémon Trainer, Orochimaru's dream was to be a great Pokémon breeder and Tsunade was a young miko simply eager to travel the world and learn more about Pokémon.

_Oh how dreams changed…_

Entei's speed decreased considerably, drawing Jiraiya out of his train of thought as the pair slowed down. They came to a halt seemingly in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by dense forest and the chirping of cicadas in the late afternoon air. Entei opened his mouth, releasing a roar that sent ripples through the area. The air shimmered momentarily as the forest faded around them, melting into a lush grassy clearing. They appeared on an island that floated on the clouds, suspended in the middle of the blue sky. The Sacred Island consisted of nothing more than a large field spotted with flowers that moved despite the lack of wind. This was the meeting place of all the legendary creatures that watched over their respective regions.

Jiraiya glanced up in time to meet a familiar set of dark eyes that regarded him respectfully, inclining his head as the large white creature did the same at his side.

"Gai, Lugia," Jiraiya greeted, bowing respectfully before the personified guardian of the seas and its priest.

The male grimaced as he approached the older man, his eyes crinkling with concern.

"I'm sorry to hear about Ume and Naruto's disappearance…"

Jiraiya forced a nod, not bothering to hide the concern that flashed across his features.

"Thank you, but unfortunately other more important matters have seen me call this meeting," he replied, before another large bird appeared on the floating island. Its flight left a rainbow trail against the blue sky, the two waiting men watching as the long haired priest to the Ho-Oh shrine leapt off the large bird to land effortlessly in one fluid motion

"Sorry I'm late Jiraiya, Gai," Kakashi greeted, his grey hair smothering his white shoulders as he bowed politely.

"I was beginning to think you were lost," Gai greeted with a smirk, at which Kakashi dismissed coolly, turning his full attention to Jiraiya who faced the both of them.

"I called you here to discuss matters of a sensitive nature, regarding the discovery of Professor Orochi's lab in Ilex Forest," he began, the two males waiting patiently by their respective legendary birds.

"It seems that he had over 50 different types of Pokémon detained, most of which were recovered when the lab was discovered last night. Officer Jenny has since called in reinforcements from around Johto and Kanto to help with the investigation."

Jiraiya looked from Entei to Ho-Oh and Lugia, his face assuming a solemn expression.

"That, of course, is the good news. The bad news is that Professor Orochi has apparently disappeared with two of his strongest creations. When I saw the laboratory, all the Pokémon aside from Mega Venusaur and Mega Blastoise were present."

"Are you sure those are the only Pokémon he has on his person?" Kakashi asked, Gai glancing from the grey head to Jiraiya who grimaced.

"That remains to be seen, but the lab had labelled capsules where I can only imagine he held the Pokémon and those two were the only empty ones, aside from Mega Charizard's capsule which had been completely destroyed," Jiraiya replied.

_Of the Pokémon that were found at the lab, the majority of them had to be put down because they were either too incapacitated or beyond help to recover. A lot of them were in physical pain and requested to be put to sleep._

Entei's sombre voice filled the air around them as he projected his thoughts audibly.

Gai's face hardened, his fists clenching at his side. Kakashi mirrored his expression, his entire body bristling as the legendary birds raised themselves on their hind legs instinctively, stretching their wings in fury.

_Why did this Professor go undetected for so long? Entei, you, Suicune and Raikou, this is your territory and where I assigned you to be. Jiraiya, you **live** in Ilex Forest. The lives of so many Pokémon have been ruined and taken unnecessarily._

Kakashi raised a hand to settle on Ho-Oh's side as if to restrain the angry screech that berated the legendary canine and the white haired male.

"I apologise for this failure, Ho-Oh. You are correct, I should have detected this earlier," Jiraiya murmured, moving to bow deeply before the offended bird Pokémon.

_Ume was the one who discovered the laboratory. Before Mega Charizard transported us to the other world, she summoned us and we came in time to see Naruto and Ninetails appear alongside her…_

Gai frowned as he glanced at Entei who spoke before turning to look at Lugia.

"What do you mean by another _world_ Entei?" the dark haired priest queried as Lugia looked to Ho-Oh.

_The Pokémon world exists in its own right in our reality. We were told by the Ancient Pokémon before us of other worlds that exist in perfect harmony alongside ours. These worlds, like ours, exist in their own universe but our paths never cross, for we are all separated by a veil of time and space that can be breached only with the exertion of great power._

Lugia's calm voice fell on their receptive ears, causing Gai and Kakashi to stare at the guardian of the seas with furrowed brows.

"So these other worlds exist alongside ours, but a veil protects each world from the other. Are you saying then that Mega Charizard breached this veil?" Kakashi asked simply, his dark eyes staring at Entei who inclined its head.

_The level of Mega Charizard's power has yet to be determined, but it is clear that he has no control over his own strength and is largely unaware of his current ability. In our confrontation at the lab, he transported all of us to another world._

Kakashi and Gai blinked slowly, attempting to take the information in.

"Entei, Suicune and Raikou were able to return to our world but with great difficulty because of the energy required to return here. Suicune and Raikou are currently attempting to track Mega Charizard's path, and I have called you both to ask for your assistance in finding Professor Orochi," Jiraiya added.

A thoughtful expression settled on Gai's face as he looked to Jiraiya.

"If I have heard everything correctly, am I to conclude that Ume and Naruto have not just disappeared from the_ forest_, they are actually in another _world?_"

Jiraiya's eyes lowered as he thought of the two people he cherished most. He had told the other priests that Ume and Naruto had disappeared, but he decided to wait until that moment to reveal the true predicament. He wanted to tell them at the right time with the context of the situation, and at that very moment the younger men stared at him, awaiting his response.

"Yes, they are both in another world," Jiraiya concluded.

Both men were taken aback, the revelation of the situation slowly sinking in.

"We need to get them back," Gai said firmly, Kakashi nodding in agreement.

"I need your help in finding Professor Orochi; all the legendary Pokémon cannot leave Johto and Kanto in one time to look for Ume and Naruto, the greater need is here capturing Orochi and saving the Pokémon he has in his possession."

Jiraiya fought to keep his resolve from cracking, fighting back the bitter thoughts that brought the memory of those he had already lost to the forefront. First his wife, Tsunade, and then their daughter Mika with the same pink eyes Ume inherited.

"Jiraiya-"

"It is my _duty_, Kakashi. When I inherited the Shrine from Tsunade, I vowed to serve the interests of Pokémon, and finding Orochi is one such interest. It is not ideal, but I have already failed by not finding the laboratory earlier; Orochi is the priority before any more innocent Pokémon are hurt," Jiraiya said with finality.

Kakashi pressed his lips together firmly while Gai suppressed a sigh.

_Your stance is noble, Jiraiya, and while I appreciate your willingness to pursue Orochi, this issue does not outweigh the fact that two people from our world are in another. We do not know what the consequences are, if any, of a torn passageway between our worlds. I am inclined to think, however, that we do need to find a way of returning them home._

Lugia shared its thoughts aloud, gaining a look of acknowledgement from Jiraiya.

_The plan at this stage is for Ume and Naruto to return to the place in their current world where the veil is torn. There, she will summon us through the portal to transport them back to our world._

Entei's plan was brief, Jiraiya admitted, but it was a plan nonetheless.

"What if Ume does not, or _cannot_ make it to that place?" Kakashi asked.

Jiraiya couldn't bear to think of anything happening to his granddaughter, or his godson. Even he knew that the plan was not foolproof, but the burden he felt at the loss of Pokémon life already at the hands of Professor Orochi pushed him to choose pursuing him over Ume and Naruto.

_She said that she would summon us no later than tonight. _

Ho-Oh squawked, garnering the attention of those surrounding it as it flapped its wings.

_If she does not return home by tomorrow morning, Kakashi and I will travel through to find them._

Gai agreed with Lugia before turning to Jiraiya who remained unresponsive.

_In the meantime, Entei, you, Suicune and Raikou will continue to search for Mega Charizard. Conserve as much energy as you can, while Kakashi and I will scour Johto for signs of Orochi._

"Lugia and I can look through Kanto today with the help of Zapdos and Lee," Gai offered.

Jiraiya felt considerably lighter all of a sudden, the burden that had plagued him since Orochi's discovery and his family's disappearance lifting somewhat. Although the responsibility for bringing Orochi to justice was very much present, the support offered by both Kakashi and Gai gave him courage where he would have otherwise succumbed to his negative thinking.

"You are never alone, Jiraiya, do not forget that we are your family too," Kakashi's soft voice spoke.

Jiraiya glanced up to see the two Legendary Guardians regard him respectfully, the two younger males sharing the same expression. The genuine warmth he found in their gaze comforted him greatly, to the point where he felt his eyes prickle. Taking in a deep breath, he managed to contain himself with a simple smile.

"Thank you for your support; we have discussed our plan of attack, so we will debrief here again this evening an hour after sundown," he responded, to which Kakashi and Gai reacted by leaping onto Ho-Oh and Lugia's giant contrasting bodies.

"If you need us before then, you know how to get a hold of us," Gai responded.

With a wave of their hands, both Gai and Kakashi launched into the air, the Guardian of the Skies and the Guardian of the Seas flying side by side before fading into the atmosphere.

_We have a lot of work to do_.

Jiraiya nodded calmly, taking his place on Entei's back as the Legendary Beast released an almighty roar that sent ripples through atmosphere. He watched as the area surrounding them melted into the dark brown and green shadows that materialised into Ilex Forest.

_Be safe, Ume and Naruto, wherever you are._

Jiraiya dwelt upon the thought a moment longer before banishing it, focusing on the task at hand. There was much to do in the meantime while he waited for their reappearance.

**X**

**Konoha Hospital**

Shikamaru had to admit, babysitting the strangers was perhaps one of the most enjoyable tasks he had been assigned to. Staring out the window, he had watched as the sun crossed the sky up to the point where it had now disappeared out of view. The sky had darkened since he arrived just after lunch, and he expected Sakura to appear within the next hour or so to check up on the pair before they were to be woken for dinner.

Neither had woken from their slumber, and Shikamaru took the time to assess them both while he watched them rest. Naruto, or his lookalike, snored from exhaustion, however he slept rather handsomely, for lack of any better description. Although he was sitting upright, slightly slouched with his head tilted to the right against the chair, something about him alerted Shikamaru to the fact that this was not Naruto at all. He did not snore loud enough, or sleep in a disarrayed fashion that he would otherwise expect from him. Shikamaru's eyes widened as he watched him stir. He raised his arms above his head, yawning simultaneously before opening his eyes slowly. Brilliant blue eyes met his astonished gaze as the male frowned at him, moving to stand.

"Second shift I see," he greeted simply as he turned his upper body from one side to the other, groaning as the joints cracked at the movement.

Shikamaru remained unresponsive, noting that his voice and build replicated exactly that of Naruto.

"Has she woken up yet?" Naruto asked gently, his eyes softening as he regarded the resting female.

"I'm here to watch over you, not offer a commentary on your movements in the past 5 hours," he replied blandly.

Naruto glanced at him, his brow raised.

"I always wondered what you would be like if you were serious, but meeting you with those mannerisms here makes me miss your practical jokes," Naruto murmured, not surprised he received a hard look from the other male in response.

Naruto returned his eyes to Ume's sleeping form, wondering when Ninetails would make a reappearance. He had advised his companion to rest somewhere safe in the meantime, and he suspected that Ninetails was yet to search them both out.

_Probably still resting… which means we will be here for a while longer, at least until Ume wakes up._

Shikamaru watched the expression on Naruto's face with mental interest, noting his endearing gaze.

_I don't suppose the girl who claims to be Jiraiya's granddaughter is his girlfriend._

Naruto did not notice his scrutiny as he turned to look out the windows. They were on the third floor of the building that overlooked the humble village. He knew better than to try and escape in an underhanded manner. From what he had seen with Mr Morino, these people were aggressive when they were presented a threat. He suspected that was why they were being watched, however he was just thankful to be outside of the interrogation room.

"Where I come from, the only battling done is between Pokémon," Naruto began aloud.

_Whether he believes me or not is up to him, but I need to take every opportunity to emphasise the fact that we are not threats. Honesty is the key, I suppose._

"A Pokémon is a creature with special abilities, or attacks that depend on the type of Pokémon it is. As it stands, there are 18 types of Pokémon, this does not include the hybrid types which also exist, but simply to exercise my point-"

Shikamaru did not know what to make of the male, raising his hands instinctively as the male rummaged around in his pockets.

"Go, Absol," Shikamaru heard him call as a light briefly flashed in the room, presenting a white four-legged beast.

"Absol?"

The warm voice distracted both males as Shikamaru glanced to the bed where the female sat up. The creature responded to the female voice that called it, moving instinctively to her bedside, resting its head on the bed. Shikamaru watched as the female smiled, patting the beast.

"You're such a good boy," she grinned, raising her hands to cup his face before moving to stroke his white head.

The shinobi's initial confusion faded into a sense surprise as he watched the female interact with the creature.

"Absol is a Dark type Pokémon," Naruto concluded before turning to greet the female with a smile.

"Did you have a good rest?" he murmured, moving to position himself alongside the creature.

Ume nodded at him, keeping her attention on Absol.

"I did, even with your snoring," she replied, smirking before turning to regard Shikamaru.

The chūnin blinked, taking in her pink gaze. Her eyes crinkled in wonder, and if Shikamaru didn't know any better, he could have sworn he saw the female blush under his gaze.

"Shikamaru?" she breathed, taking in his form with her shy gaze.

"Why you're absolutely beautiful!"

Shikamaru choked at the admission, Naruto releasing a sigh as he shook his head.

"_Everyone_ is beautiful to Ume," Naruto explained, detecting the shock in the other male's eyes as he stared at the only female in the room.

"Not _everyone _is beautiful in my opinion," she argued, the flush on her cheeks intensifying.

Naruto rolled his eyes before replying, "You've told Lee on several occasions that you find him handsome and we all know _that_ is a lie."

Ume flung a pillow at Naruto's face before crossing her arms firmly across her chest.

"Everyone is attractive in their own right, and what am I supposed to tell Lee, that he's ugly and should get a brow wax?" she retaliated.

Shikamaru watched the exchange with mild fascination.

"I don't think he needs to be told, that's what a mirror is for," Naruto replied flatly, garnering a glare from the obviously offended female.

"You know Naruto, I think you've been hanging out with Sasuke too much; that arrogant prick is rubbing off on you," she muttered, moving to stand from the bed.

"At least he's a _handsome_ arrogant prick," Naruto smirked, resulting in yet another pillow being thrown furiously at his face.

"Naruto, you may be my brother, and I may love you, but I will still happily push you out that window when you get on my nerves!" she cried, tackling the blonde onto the ground.

The door to the room opened, a pink haired female appearing with a tray of food in hand. She glanced at Shikamaru who merely shrugged before regarding the white coloured creature wearily. A groan turned her attention to the pair on the floor. She watched with shock as the white haired female tugged violently on the male's hair.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to check how you both are feeling," Sakura greeted, Ume regarding her with wild eyes before getting to her feet, her cheeks flushed.

"Excuse our rudeness Sakura, Shikamaru," she murmured before bowing in apology, Naruto following suit.

"I hope you have another tray of food coming, Ume will clean all that out," Naruto greeted, gesturing toward the the two bowls of ramen and the plate of dumplings.

Ume chuckled awkwardly as Sakura looked her slim frame up and down before glancing at the tray of food.

"I need a lot of energy in my line of work," she explained before relieving Sakura of the tray of food, headed for the bed.

"You can check up on Naruto first, if you don't mind," Ume added as wolfed down a dumpling in one gulp. Shikamaru stared at her wide-eyed as she began to consume the meal meant for two.

Sakura turned her attention to Naruto who was by then kneeling to pat Absol who sat at his knee.

"I feel fine, Sakura, although I have to admit, you pack a heavy kick," he murmured, glancing at her with a knowing smile that made her giddy despite her offended demeanour.

"Well what was I supposed to do? You dragged me to a dark corner of the village right into a large dog that could breathe fire," she retorted defensively, at which Naruto chuckled.

"Yes well forgive me for mistaking you for a friend; Sakura, _my_ Sakura has the sweetest temperament, whereas you..."

Sakura's eyes hardened, daring him to finish his sentence. That look would usually send Naruto running for the hills, however this other Naruto only grinned wickedly at her.

"You are a wild flame waiting to be tamed."

The words dripped with charm and confidence, rendering her speechless.

"Oh stop hurting the poor girl's ears and let her check up on you," Ume muttered from her bed, one bowl of ramen already empty.

_Naruto, Ume._

The voice of Ninetails filled their minds as the Pokémon appeared in the room, gaining a yelp from Sakura and the beginnings of a jutsu forming in Shikamaru's hands.

_There is a situation in the forest, you must come at once._

"Do you have enough energy to transport all of us?" Naruto asked aloud, confusion plastered on both Sakura and Shikamaru's faces as Ninetails nodded.

Neither shinobi could make a move as they found themselves removed from the hospital room in a single moment, leaving behind an empty room and a half eaten meal tray resting where Ume once was.

**X**

**Author's Notes:**

**1. **Thank you to you faithful readers :) both reviewers and non-reviewers alike, I'm honoured that you think my work worthy enough to keep track of and follow through, even with its errors here and there :P 3 reviews before next chapter upload as always :)

**2. **Any OOC-ness forgive me; I'm trying my best to make this as realistic as possible. Any terrible OOC moments you notice, lemme know; I want to improve :)

**3. **Pokémon Kakashi and Gai are priests; Neji, Lee and Ten Ten are responsible for Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres respectively... whether they make an appearance is another thing LOL :P we will see!

**4. **Questions, queries, comments etc. are all welcome and happily accepted. If you take the time to leave a review, I will take the time to respond accordingly.

**5. **A bit repetitive, I will admit that myself with the whole 'another world' explanation too, that is my bad but I couldn't see a way around explaining it either way (it's what happens when there's no beta :P) - gosh this chapter name was terrible if I don't say myself too; and the writing at the latter end was getting lazy :/ I wanted this chapter up tonight, so apologies on that end.

Look after yourselves readers, and until next time, take care,

- QK


	6. At the Crossroad

**Disclaimer: **Pokémon and Naruto are not my property :) I claim only the plot and Ume.

Special thanks to **dracologistmaster**, **hunter994x **and **madeyemoody95**. This chapter is up thanks to you lovely three :)

**VI**

**At the Crossroad**

The four of them arrived to an almighty explosion that rocketed the ground they landed on. The air was filled with dust, throwing them into a daze as to where outdoors they had appeared. Ume glanced upwards, noting a sliver of vermilion sky beyond the cloud of dust.

"Finish him, Mega Blastoise," came a voice that chilled the miko to her core.

The air around them cleared in time for Naruto to note that they were at the crossroads, the one place in this new world connected to their home. The clearing that was once surrounded with trees had been enlarged even further, but what drew his attention most was the tall, sickly looking male standing with a large turtle Pokémon to their far right.

Sakura's mouth fell open as she stared at the male accompanying the large brown-shelled creature. His fine hair fell to his cheeks, falling across his dark eyes. He was dressed entirely in black, aside from his white coat that billowed in the dusk air.

"Impossible... is that _Orochimaru_?" she breathed.

Shikamaru at her side was stunned at the events that were unfolding in quick succession. Only moments before they were in the hospital room, and now they found themselves in the middle of a forest presented with what looked to be a confrontation between two beasts. Then there was the issue of the man that looked exactly like Orochimaru.

"What is Professor Orochi doing here with Mega Blastoise?" Naruto demanded, Ninetails and Absol coming to his side.

_I was resting nearby and was disturbed by the appearance of the Professor first. He appeared with Mega Blastoise, and Mega Charizard followed not long after. They began to battle which was when I came and got you._

Ninetails' explanation fell on deaf ears as Sakura, Shikamaru and Naruto witnessed Ume leap forward in her simple hospital shift. She ignored Naruto's shouts as her bare feet ran along the cold ground, the wind whipping her hair out of her face. She ran into the middle of the battle field, throwing her arms out to protect the black and red dragon Pokémon that was lying on its side breathing heavily. Sakura watched as Naruto followed after the female, his two Pokémon following his lead. Sakura glanced at Shikamaru who shook his head gently at her.

"Not yet," he advised simply, the pink haired female nodding hesitantly in response.

"Professor Orochi, you must pay for the innocent Pokémon lives you have taken," Ume called boldly, drawing the two shinobis' attention back to the unfolding confrontation.

"I know_ you_," Orochi drawled, his dark eyes narrowing.

"You're Jiraiya and Tsunade's granddaughter, aren't you?" he added, his statement delivered more as an accusation than a question.

Sakura's brow furrowed immediately as Shikamaru inhaled sharply.

_Jiraiya and Tsunade's granddaughter?_

Orochi laughed bitterly as he ran a hand through his thin hair, shaking his head.

"I see you are following in your grandmother's footsteps, _miko_; how ironic-"

"I am not here to discuss irony, Professor, I will not let you hurt any more Pokémon!" she cried, throwing three circular items into the air that Sakura and Shikamaru recognised from the hospital room.

"Go Pidgeot, Alakazam and Gengar!"

Sakura watched with wide eyes as the round capsules burst open in a flurry of light, presenting three creatures she had never seen before. A large bird launched itself into the air, while the other two beasts stood before Ume alongside one another. Sakura felt a chill go down her spine as her jade eyes lingered on the purple _thing_ that looked like something from a nightmare.

"This is very strange indeed," Shikamaru stated blandly, unsure of what other words to use to communicate the uncanny situation they were in. He did not know whether to be intrigued or disturbed at the golden beast that Ume summoned, with its moustache and spoons in hand.

"Just like your grandfather, always was the _optimist_, even when the situation is not at all in your favour," Orochi snorted before raising his arm to point at them.

"Let's go Arcanine, Houndoom, Fearow and Manectric!"

Naruto's voice filled the air along with the same light that surrounded the appearance of the first lot of creatures. Sakura and Shikamaru could only stare in bewilderment as more of these _Pokémon,_ if Shikamaru remembered correctly, arrived.

Sakura instantly recognised the large black dog that could breathe fire. Shikamaru saw the same striped canine that Naruto rode earlier that day through the village before being captured by himself, Kakashi and Ino.

_I wondered where the canine disappeared to when we captured him; that strange ball…_

"Mega Blastoise, Thunder!"

The duo were snapped into the reality of the battle, watching as the large tortoise creature began to glow with electricity.

"Impossible…" Ume breathed.

_Mega Blastoise is a water __Pokémon; it is impossible for him to learn any electric attack! Unless Professor Orochi has **done** something to him..._

Anger raced through her being as she raised her head defiantly, her fists clenched at her side.

"Houndoom, Earthquake, Fearow and Pidgeot, use Whirlwind – disturb Mega Blastoise from aiming his attack at us," Naruto commanded.

Ume felt the ground beneath them rumble as Houndoom channeled the attack towards the large grass-type Pokémon who obviously had electric abilities. The air rushed above her, causing her hair to fly into her eyes, the pair of large birds centering their twin whirlwinds towards Mega Blastoise.

Sakura watched as the creature, Mega Blastoise, quivered with the earthquake, releasing a large pillar of thunder that was buffeted by the aerial attack from the flying creatures. Shikamaru watched with interest, his brow set as he recalled what the blonde male had told him earlier.

_Where I come from, the only battling done is between Pokémon._

He was beginning to understand what Naruto meant.

"Absol use Sucker Punch and follow it up with Shadow Claw, Gengar," Ume added furiously, pointing her hand towards the large shelled Pokémon_._

A white flash darted forward to launch an attack against Mega Blastoise who remained unperturbed.

"Let's have some fun, shall we? Go on Mega Blastoise, let's hit them with a Flame Thrower," Orochi shouted, Absol and Gengar met head on with a flaming vortex that consumed them both.

Sakura, Naruto, Shikamaru and Ume gasped. The shinobi reacted to the attack, watching as the dark violet Pokémon positioned itself in front of Absol purposefully, taking the full brunt of the attack.

"Gengar!" Ume's strangled cry filled the air.

_These creatures have feelings and emotions… and they are tied to their summoner…_

Sakura fought to understand the scene. It was clear that the purple beast had protected the white one. She watched as the purple Pokémon struggled to its feet. The white Pokémon placed itself in front of the purple one, staring defiantly at the abnormally large turtle beast that towered over them. Sakura's eyes darted to the other creatures that began to rally around the pair, the scene sparking a sense of nostalgia in her as she witnessed Ume and Naruto follow their lead.

_Those beasts… they have a sense of loyalty and obligation to one another, just like we do for the village._

The revelation stunned her as Mega Blastoise's back began to glow.

If Shikamaru didn't know any better, it looked as though the creature was gathering energy, concentrating it in the large cannon that protruded from its shell. His eyes darted to the group of beasts huddled around the injured Pokémon, Naruto and Ume returning their attention too slowly to the oncoming attack.

"It was nice knowing you," Orochi laughed maddeningly, Mega Blastoise preparing its Hydro Cannon.

"Kage Tsukami no Jutsu*," Shikamaru breathed as he quickly pressed his palms together.

Sakura watched as her companion's shadow extended in the fading daylight towards the large beast's shadow. Seizing control of Mega Blastoise, Shikamaru lifted the giant creature into the air before upturning it, sending it crashing to the earth on its side.

"No!" Orochi shouted as Mega Blastoise landed with a great shudder that rippled through the earth.

Quicker than Orochi could calculate, the air around them began to shimmer, Sakura and Shikamaru beholding a large white creature filling the air above them.

"Lugia?" Naruto blurted, his heart lightening considerably at the sight of the legendary bird.

"Professor Orochi, you are coming with me," a familiar male voice called from the creature.

Orochi was silenced before he could respond, the enchanted creature batting its wings, creating a harsh wind that flattened the opposing Pokémon and its rogue owner into the ground.

"Ume and Naruto, restrain them," the dark haired male called as the pair nodded before turning to their psychic Pokémon.

"Ninetails," Naruto started.

"Alakazam," Ume added.

"Hypnosis!" they cried in unison as the two Pokémon released their attack into the air, the rainbow coloured pulse sending the offending pair to sleep.

"No…" Orochi protested, his voice fading into a snore that mirrored that of Mega Blastoise's.

Sakura was unsure of what to make of the aftermath. The man she recognised as Orochimaru was now snoring along with his powerful beast, and standing opposite them was Ume and Naruto surrounded with their own creatures. Her light green eyes lifted to the sky where the flying white beast lowered itself towards the ground, its rider jumping of its back as it did so.

"Gai, how did you get through?" Ume welcomed, moving to greet the male she instantly recognised. Shikamaru's eyes widened as he stared at the man.

He was dressed in a simple navy blue yukata with a silver obi tied around his waist. His hair was its usual length, Sakura suspected, but it was styled in long random spikes across his head. Two such spikes were styled as bangs that framed his stoic face, his thick eye brows the true giveaway to his identity, or at least his _look-a-like._ Sakura blinked at him, stunned as he conversed with Naruto and Ume. She would have never used 'attractive' to describe the Gai she knew, but with this male that stood before her, she had to admit that this Gai _was_.

"It's a long story; the real reason I'm here is to return Professor Orochi and Mega Blastoise back to our world," he began before assessing their Pokémon that flocked around the priest.

"We tracked Professor Orochi to his lab, of all places. We suspected that he might return, considering he was forced to leave the lab without a lot of his research. Our hunch paid off, however he transported himself here with the help of Mega Blastoise. Your grandfather is currently dealing with Mega Venusaur back in our world, so he will be pleased to know that I have seen you and that you are both safe," Gai explained.

"No one move."

The cold voice was followed by the appearance of a circle of shadows surrounding them all, some materialising before their eyes while others came by ground and through the trees. Sakura and Shikamaru recognised their companions, returning their thoughts to the hospital room they left earlier and to the situation that now presented itself.

"Shikamaru, Sakura, you were given strict orders _not_ to leave the hospital room," Kakashi muttered, appearing at the pair's side.

"Who are you?" Gai called, turning to face the masked male.

His eye brows flickered momentarily as he studied Kakashi's face.

"That cannot possibly be..."

"It is, Gai, that's the Kakashi of this world," Ume confirmed with a knowing nod to which Gai responded with a perplexed expression. Ume read the confusion on his face, empathising with the thoughts that she assumed were crossing his mind.

"There's another Naruto too, and if you haven't noticed, there is another Sakura, Shikamaru..." Naruto added, both Sakura and Shikamaru blinking at the comment.

"But what is that _thing_ on the bottom of his face; can he breathe?" he asked incredulously, blinking at Kakashi who returned a cold glare.

"I think it looks cool," Naruto argued, shrugging his shoulders casually as Ume glared at him.

"Look, we apologise for leaving the hospital room; we had some urgent business to see to…"

_Gai, look._

Lugia's calm voice filled the atmosphere, Ume's explanation hanging in the air unfinished as the humans and Pokémon alike stared at the presence of a portal torn in the middle of the air. Beyond the sleeping Orochi and his Pokémon lay a tear a few inches wide, showing a snippet of what Naruto and Ume recognised as the laboratory from their world. They watched with confusion as people bypassed the rip between the two universes on the opposite side, seemingly unaware of its presence.

"This is not good," Gai said ominously.

**X**

_**Several hours later**_

**Shrine to the Three Legendary Beasts – Ilex Forest – Johto**

"So Ume and Naruto are alright then," Jiraiya said simply.

Gai lowered his eyes, his thoughts still reeling from the encounter earlier that evening. The clock ticked towards 15 minutes after eight o'clock. The priest only just returned to their world over an hour or so earlier. He had since surrendered Professor Orochi over to the authorities before heading straight to see his mentor and father-like figure.

_Where do I begin? A world where we have physical counterparts that share our names but not necessarily our personalities?_

He shivered as he thought of Kakashi's counterpart with his spiky hair and ridiculous mask.

_And I thought Kakashi in this world was dramatic..._

"They are both fine; the world they have been transported to is one without Pokémon which was why it took me so long to get back," Gai began. Jiraiya was present at the lab when they pursued Orochi and Mega Blastoise and he sensed the questioning gaze of his mentor lingering on him.

"So they were suspicious of you?"

Gai nodded, his lips pursed.

"So if they were suspicious of you, this means they were or may still be suspicious of Naruto and Ume," Jiraiya thought aloud, something akin to worry pricking in his chest.

"After my appearance I spoke with Lady Tsunade. It was evident to me that she was previously suspicious of their presence, but in seeing me, they are now inclined to believe that we, especially Naruto and Ume are not threats," Gai explained.

Gai watched with slight confusion as Jiraiya stiffened, instantly rethinking what he had previously said that could have offended the white haired man.

_Of course, Lady Tsunade…_

Gai kicked himself inwardly, cursing his weariness for his lack of sensitivity. He knew at the time he spoke with the _Hokage_, as they called her, that this was Jiraiya's wife. She was just as he remembered her physically when he was a child, although her mannerisms were a bit rougher than what he recollected.

"Although this other world is without Pokémon, it is worth noting that some of us have identical counterparts," Gai elaborated, remembering his encounter with several faces he recognised from their home world.

Jiraiya's eyes were distant, Gai could see. From what he remembered, his wife died when Mika was only a little girl. Gai smile sadly as Mika's face came to view in his mind, with her long blonde hair and pink eyes. Ume was her mother's spitting image, save the white hair she proudly claimed from her grandfather.

"So I suppose both Naruto and Ume will be there for another night."

The voice summoned Gai back to reality, the younger male blinking as he met Jiraiya's dark eyes once more.

"Yes, this brings me to our current predicament," Gai began, searching for the right words

**X**

**Konoha Hospital**

It was well into the evening before Ume and Naruto were finally allowed to return to their room. Upon arriving back, they noted that the bed was made and was empty of the food tray that Ume abandoned when Ninetails appeared. Her eyes lit up momentarily as she spotted her white kimono top and red pants folded neatly on the bedside table.

"One good thing today, clean clothes," she muttered, walking over to the table and stroking the fabric gently.

The door to their room opened as Naruto and Ninetails made their way to the seat on the opposite side of the bed, close to the window that overlooked the slumbering village. The sky was black beyond the window pane, and aside from the crescent moon that managed to peak through the clear glass, all Naruto noted was the reflection of their room staring back at them. The reflection revealed the intruder as being a blonde female with cerulean eyes that burned into his.

"We just got here," Naruto greeted, turning to face her directly.

The female rolled her eyes, placing a hand on her hip.

"You are only here to gather your things before I escort you, so make it quick," she replied coolly as Naruto ran an errant hand through his hair before pocketing the same hand.

"Ume hasn't had a chance to shower yet, so if you don't mind, we'll go when _she _is ready," he replied just as coolly, dismissing her with his eyes to regard his foster sister gently.

"Go and clean up, Ume; I suspect we have a long night ahead of us," he spoke softly.

Ino was slightly offended by Naruto's disregard for her, almost to the point of wanting to set him straight. How he approached the female he called his sister, however, caught her off guard. He treated Jiraiya's so-called 'granddaughter' with warmth and fondness. It was evident he cared for the female.

"Sorry Ino, I promise I'll be quick," Ume apologised, breaking the attractive female's chain of thought before dashing past her in search of the adjoining washroom.

Ino watched Naruto's lingering gaze follow the white haired miko into the next room, her curiousity gaining the upper hand as she commented.

"You really care for her."

Naruto didn't meet her eyes but chose to smile, his attention on the closed door between the bathroom and the room they were in.

"With all my heart," he replied genuinely, rendering Ino somewhat speechless.

"But she is not your girlfriend…"

The thought slipped passed her lips unchecked, resulting in a blush flourishing on her cheeks.

"No, she is merely my sister; why, are you interested?" he teased, grinning wolfishly that it sent a tingle down her spine.

_What is __**wrong **__with you Ino? This is __**Naruto**__!_

She turned her nose in the air, crossing her arms firmly across her chest.

"I'm not interested," she lied, fighting the sudden thrumming of her heart.

"Count yourself lucky that I'm feeling a little on the tired side," he responded, fighting a yawn as he settled himself on the window sill, crossing his own arms casually.

"Oh?" Ino couldn't resist biting back, and she could not help but regret it when he met her gaze, his sapphire eyes dancing.

"It wouldn't take me long to give you something to be interested _about_, dear Ino," he murmured confidently, his words causing Ino's eyebrows to raise in genuine surprise.

_His reckless charm and confidence… he may look like Naruto, but he sure __**isn't**__ the one I know. He __**must**__ be from a different world._

Ino raised a hand to her warm cheeks, suddenly aware of how stuffy the room had become. To her relief, the bathroom door opened swiftly, announcing Ume's arrival with a cloud of steam. Looking the miko up and down, Ino resumed her official stance as their escort to the forest where the portal lay.

"I'm ready when you are," Ume spoke, immediately noting the playful expression on Naruto's face and Ino's flushed cheeks.

Ume sighed inwardly.

_It's going to be a long night._

**X**

**Hokage's Office**

_The paperwork those damned visitors have brought with their arrival!_

Tsunade momentarily abandoned the mounting sheets of paper on her desk, happy for the moment that Shizune had left her in search of some tea. So much had happened in the small space of a day. From what she remembered, Naruto and Ume arrived the previous evening, and in that short time, she'd come face to face with creatures called Pokémon and the concept of a parallel dimension where identical counterparts existed in another plane.

_Well, from what I know, identical counterparts for Jiraiya, Naruto, Gai and Kakashi._

She frowned lightly, recalling the encounter in the forest several hours earlier.

**X**

_**Several hours earlier**_

**Konohagakure Forest**

_When she was told that there was a man that looked exactly like Orochimaru, the fifth Hokage had no choice but to venture into the forest to see with her own brown eyes. The trip was quick enough, her thoughts plagued by the events of the past day._

First, I am told of apparent spies, one who looks exactly like Naruto and claims to **be** him. Then I am told they are actually from another world, one where Jiraiya apparently settled down and had a granddaughter who was with 'Naruto'.

_She gritted her teeth, annoyance flaring in her chest at the nuisance of the entire situation. She gave strict orders for the pair to be watched while they rested at the Hospital, and not half a day had passed but they managed to transport themselves into the forest along with Sakura and Shikamaru. Tsunade was beginning to believe that perhaps the pair were a threat after all._

_She arrived at the clearing with Shizune in her wake, her face assuming an expressionless mask as she surveyed the damage in the early evening light. True to the report, she immediately noticed the blonde head belonging to Naruto surrounded by various creatures that Tsunade was momentarily overwhelmed by. She glanced over the large birds that were now rested comfortably alongside the male, and a quick scan of the area located Ume to the far left seeing to a large unmoving dragon creature like one she had never seen._

"_Lady Tsunade, we have a situation," came Kakashi's acknowledgement, drawing the Hokage out of her thoughts._

_The j__ō__nin led the female to the far end of the clearing, where a large white creature she couldn't quite describe rested alongside a giant snoring tortoise, for lack of a better description, and a man who rested in front of the peacefully resting beast. Tsunade's eyebrows raised as she inspected the strange creature, her eyes resting on the weaponry that protruded from its shell._

"_You must be the Hokage my masked friend alluded to earlier."_

_Tsunade blinked at the familiar voice, moving her eyes to the source that appeared before her and Kakashi. She frowned immediately, recognising the male dressed in a simple yukata that bowed politely._

"_I am not your friend," Kakashi muttered beneath his breath, neither Tsunade nor Gai hearing the complaint._

"_First things first, I would like to offer thanks on behalf of Priest Jiraiya, Priest Kakashi and myself, as well as the Legendary creatures we pay homage to for looking after Ume and Naruto. Ume informed me that they have been watched over by you, and so we acknowledge and appreciate your hospitality."_

_Tsunade blinked along with Kakashi somewhat taken aback by the greeting. She quickly shot a glance towards first Naruto who was still with his beasts resting on the ground before looking to Ume who was seeing to the apparently injured black and red dragon. _

"_Before I continue, however, how may I address you?" Gai continued, drawing Tsunade's attention back to the current conversation._

"_Lady Hokage will do," she replied, to which Gai nodded._

_She never imagined Gai with hair styled differently, despite the fact that even she admitted that the shiny bowl cut style was hopelessly outdated. With it styled similarly to Kakashi's and dressed in a yukata, she could almost call him handsome._

He is most definitely from another world.

"_Lady Hokage, Naruto told me that he has explained to you the situation as it stands with them appearing from another world. I appeared with the large white creature, the legendary Pokémon by the name of Lugia, whose shrine I am the priest of," Gai began, gesturing towards the winged Pokémon settled behind them._

"_We appeared here following Professor Orochi, who travelled to your world with Mega Blastoise in an attempt to evade us. In doing so, Mega Charizard, the creature Ume is seeing to, followed him here and engaged in battle. We arrived in time to see Naruto and Ume battling Professor Orochi, putting him to sleep before your people appeared," Gai added, casting a knowing glance at Kakashi who returned an unperturbed stare._

"_I know this _other _Naruto and Ume have spoken about coming from another world, but there is something you need to see," Kakashi spoke, leading the blonde to the snoring creature and male. _

_She felt her chest constrict unpleasantly as she glanced at the pale face that slept soundly. Memories flooded her mind involuntarily of the male the man replicated physically; too many memories. Her fists clenched as she tore her eyes off his form to the glowing patch in the empty space near them._

_"What is that..."_

_"If you would excuse us, Lady Hokage," Gai murmured as he approached the tear confidently._

_"What's the plan Gai?"_

_Tsunade watched as the questioning miko approached him dressed in a hospital shift that buffeted against her tanned figure. A stocky creature followed her, one of the Pokémon, she assumed, with large white eyes and a dark two-legged body._

_"Lugia and I will cross back through the threshold with Professor Orochi and Mega Blastoise. At this stage, Lugia does not have enough strength to return with Mega Charizard and you as well," he thought aloud, turning from Lugia to meet Ume's pink gaze._

_"I suppose neither Entei nor Suicune or Raikou have nearly enough energy to make a trip back yet," Ume mumbled, calculating mentally that it had been only a day since their return to the real world._

_"We will stay with Mega Charizard here in the forest until morning," Naruto suggested, appearing with his Ninetails in tow to join their huddle._

_Gai nodded, glancing at the tear in the threshold between their worlds._

_"That will be a good idea, Kakashi is planning to come by in the morning with Ho-Oh to retrieve you," Gai replied before turning to Tsunade who looked from him to the younger light haired pair._

_"There is a visible tear in the veil that would normally separate our two worlds, Lady Hokage, and I suspect that this cannot be good," Gai explained finally._

_"At least it proves our story," Naruto murmured, at which Ume inclined her head._

_"Even if you have proven your story, it still leaves us with the problem of this tear; how do we fix it?" Tsunade interrupted firmly._

_Lugia rose to its hind legs, folding its wings as it gingerly stepped towards them._

I will have to consult the Ancient Pokémon scroll on the island. I suspect we will find the answers there. Until then, we must take Professor Orochi and Mega Blastoise back before they cause any more damage.

_Tsunade and Kakashi's eyes widened, unsure of the regal voice that intruded their thoughts._

_"As you say, Lugia," Ume acknowledged, nodding at the white creature._

_"I trust that Kakashi here will stay with you to await his counterpart," Gai said, turning to smirk at the grey head._

_"I wish I could see your interaction; I suspect it would be amusing, but then dealing one Kakashi is bad enough; Lady Hokage, it was a pleasure meeting you in person."_

_Gai paused, Tsunade noting the look he gave Ume who pursed her lips at the older man._

_"I will intrude no longer; if you would excuse me Lady Tsunade, Kakashi, I shall take my leave," he announced._

_Before anyone could interfere, the male along Lugia and the two sleeping perpetrators began to fade into the air._

_"Stay put Naruto, you too Ume, someone will come for you soon," his fading voice promised before he dissipated into the atmosphere completely._

_Tsunade watched, bewildered as she saw the vertical tear in the atmosphere widen a fraction. _

_"It's him!" Ume cried, pointing to the tear where Gai's face reappeared, this time on the opposite side of the torn threshold. He simply nodded at them before departing from the scene, his body fading into the shadows of the laboratory._

_"This is going to be a problem indeed," Tsunade said gravely, massaging her temples._

**X**

*Shadow Clutch Technique - only appears in the Manga :)

**Author's Notes:**

**1. **BORING chapter, I know :P but I'm trying to set up the final part of the story where there will be more of the fun that I want ;) more counterparts will be introduced over the next chapter or so... it'll be amusing, I hope, so I'm warning you! :P

**2. **Fight scene with Orochi was a little bit anti-climatic, I know, but I have my reasons ;) (in that I am somewhat lazy lol :P)

**3. **Mega Charizard here is like coloured black like MC X but instead of the blue colouring, he's red (signifying Orochi's experimentation) so apologies for not mentioning this in previous chapters (thanks hunter994x for this feedback :D)

**4. **I wanted to switch the format around; if it makes the story seem disjointed, or if you have other opinions, lemme know. I'm always open to criticism :)

**5. **Thank you for reading, reviewers and non-reviewers alike. I like to acknowledge those who take the time to leave a comment, hence why I dedicate the chapters like I do :)

**6. **Review; don't be shy :P **3 reviews **is all I ask for in the space of a week. Sorry if it seems like I'm holding you all ransom (which I admit I probably am by doing this lol) but your comments make/break the story. I care about what you think, not just writing whatever my mind comes up with :P

It's a public holiday for us here today (6th February) so it's a day off; yaaay :)

Hope this chapter finds you all in good spirits; stay safe and look after yourselves dear readers.

Alofa atu,  
_With love_

- QK


	7. Blurred Boundaries

**Disclaimer: **Pokémon and Naruto aren't mine; just Ume and the plot are ;)

Special thanks to **dracologistmaster**, **hunter994x **and **Guest** for your reviews. You make me smile, so this chapter is for you :)

Note: this will be mostly be a fun chapter; what's the point of having AU counterparts and not having fun? ;)

**VII**

**Blurred Boundaries**

"I'm _bored_."

Naruto plonked himself on the ground alongside Ume, his complaint falling on deaf ears as his sister stoked the fire. They sky above them was a deep navy blue with many tiny lights scattered carelessly across the dark tapestry. The moon was suspended in the cloudless shadowy sea, a smattering of stars lapping close to its milky shore.

Naruto's eyes scanned those gathered around their campfire. Fearow and Pidgeot rested behind them while Ume raised an absent hand to pat Ninetails who sat erect at her side. Alongside Ninetails rested his canine Pokémon consisting of Houndoom and Arcanine, followed by Absol and Manectric. Gengar rested next to Naruto, and on the Ghost Pokémon's other side sat Alakazam. All the Pokémon murmured amongst themselves, eating the food Ume prepared for them in between conversation.

"Everyone full?" Ume called, her rose coloured eyes moving around their circle nestled around the warmth.

They all chorused in agreement, bringing a smile to Ume's lips.

"Now that you're full, I think it's time you all had some rest, yes?" she offered.

"Gen-gar," Gengar murmured behind his hand, looking at Alakazam who shrugged.

"Ala-kazam," the psychic Pokémon replied.

Ume's eyes darted immediately in their direction, causing Gengar to jump in surprise before laughing awkwardly.

"Gengar, don't even _think _about trying to run away and playing pranks on the people in this world. It's a good thing you're full - _return_," Ume scolded, holding out the Pokéball towards the purple Pokémon whose expression became sad.

Alakazam offered a fake smile before pretending to drift off to sleep.

"Alakazam I know you were in it too, _goodnight_," Ume added firmly, pointing another ball towards the moustached Pokémon who sighed as he was taken into the capsule.

Kakashi watched the group from where he stood in the trees, one wary eye on the portal and the other on Naruto and Ume. His lips pursed beneath his mask as he continued to watch their interaction.

_Those beasts, whatever they are; she treats them like children. They seem to understand Ume and her commands, and they apparently have their own personalities and names. Intriguing._

Kakashi's eyes widened slightly in awe as he witnessed both Naruto and Ume command the creatures to return to the circular capsules where he guessed they lived.

_The creatures are not so much summoned. They are carried around in those capsules and are released on whim..._

"Ume, I'm _bored_," Naruto lamented more dramatically than he did in the first instance.

Ume rolled her eyes as she made her simple bed which consisted of a blanket on the ground and a blanket to cover her person. She crawled into the woollen material, her heavy eyes beckoning her to rest.

"What do you want me to do about it?" she snapped back, her white hair fanning out against the dark blanket.

"Let's play 'Would you rather'," the blonde suggested with an eager smile on the opposite side of the fire.

"Naruto, I'm tired-"

"Would you rather kiss Jynx or Tentacruel?"

Ume sighed audibly, considering her options. If she didn't play along with his game, Naruto would more than likely pester her regardless and she would not sleep at all. If she managed to fall asleep, Naruto would wake her anyway and force her to play. Sighing yet again, she closed her eyes as she lay on her back.

"Tentacruel. Would you rather start with Charmander or Torchic?"

Naruto snorted from his own bed, lying face up towards the sky.

"Charmander of course; would you rather go out with someone five years older or five years younger than you?"

Ume choked as her eyes narrowed.

_He __**always**__ does this when we play this stupid game! No matter how much I try to keep the topics as general as possible, he always wants to make it personal._

"Well?" Naruto probed, annoyance flashing across Ume's features before she answered, "Older."

Naruto chuckled to himself, knowing full well that masked Kakashi was watching nearby. As the older one of the pair, he made it his _duty_ to tease or embarrass her whenever he could. That evening would be no different.

"Would you rather be a Pokémon Breeder or Co-ordinator?"

The question made Naruto sigh. "Breeder. Would you rather marry Kakashi or Gai?"

Ume sat bolt upright in her bed, turning to glare at the other side of the dwindling fire where Naruto's innocent gaze met hers.

"Must you _always _make this game awkward?" Ume shouted, her cheeks flushed as Naruto suppressed a laugh.

"You're the one making a big deal of it; it's only a _game_," Naruto drawled before Ume threw herself furiously into her sheets.

"_Well?_"

"They're both like older brothers-"

"You haven't answered my question..."

"That's so wrong on _so _many levels!"

"It doesn't mean anything-"

"Neither of them."

Naruto glanced at Ume through the fire, who had by that time turned her back against him. He smirked, knowing that she was berating him furiously under her breath.

"You have to choose _some one_, Ume," he prompted.

"Alright, both of them."

Naruto sighed aloud this time as he rolled onto his side to face his sister's back.

"Fine, answer me this and I'll answer you: who would _you _rather marry, Hinata or Sakura?"

Kakashi watched the unfolding conversation emotionlessly, more interested in the interaction between the two teenagers than the content of their game. It was clear that they were close. The grey-haired shinobi momentarily wondered what his Naruto would have been like had Ume existed in their world.

"Well?" Ume persisted, her white back still facing Naruto.

There had been a time, if Naruto were to be honest, where he would have easily picked Hinata. With her dark violet hair and pale eyes, she was a fiery personality. She had all the attributes he considered attractive in the opposite sex. She was beautiful, confident, a talented Co-ordinator... she was _perfect_, to Naruto. They had been on a few dates, and Hinata seemed genuinely interested, however she could never commit to him because of her hectic schedule, as well as his own.

But Sakura? The pink-haired female floated to mind. Her gentle light green eyes always shone with warmth. Where Hinata was winter with her cool looks and personality, Sakura was spring with her liveliness and warmth. Although she was physically attractive, Naruto realised in his later years that her true beauty lay with her heart. She was fiercely loyal, she had been throughout their journey together. Sakura was also bold when she had to be. She was not afraid to put him in line when the situation required it (like when he made Ino cry in their Academy days and Sakura forced him to apologise). Perhaps what he loved most about Sakura was her constant support. Whenever he felt like giving up, she was one of the first people to encourage him, always reminding him of his dream and those who he was doing his journey for.

_So who would it be Naruto, Hinata or Sakura?_

"You answer first," he finally replied.

He waited for a smart retort, or even a bitter response. Instead, his ears were met with a gentle snore. He blinked several times before smiling to himself as he rolled onto his back, his eyes closing slowly.

Kakashi watched with a frown, realising that the blonde hadn't heard his sister's response. He decided it was a good thing, because the only reason why he heard was because she'd whispered _his_ name before she drifted to sleep. Silence settled in the clearing, Kakashi glancing over the duo sleeping by the dying fire before looking to the large beast, Mega Charizard, resting not far from where they slept. The obvious tear between their worlds shone in the evening air, the other world a mere extension of the scene before him.

_The sooner this tear is seen to, the better._

Kakashi hoped that soon would come with the sunrise.

**X**

**Azalea Town - Johto**

Sakura lay in her bed, her light green eyes staring at the pale ceiling. The silver light of the crescent moon shone through her bedroom window directly over her body avoiding only her eyes.

_Oh Naruto, and Ume! Where in the world can you be?_

She would be lying if she said that she had stayed at home since Naruto's welcome back party to catch up with her parents. She was only meant to stay for a night, but since Naruto's disappearance, she knew for certain that she would not be leaving Azalea Town in the forseeable future, at least not until she knew her friends were safe.

_Not until we find both of them._

Sakura closed her eyes briefly, sighing through her nostrils. She had known Naruto and Ume since their Academy days. If Tenten was the rebellious miko, Ino the flirtacious breeder, and Hinata the famous co-ordinator, Ume was the down to earth shrine maiden, while she, Sakura, remained the faithful friend to them all, the 'reliable one' Naruto had nicknamed her. Her brow flickered with annoyance at the last thought. Sakura knew she was the girl next door; Tenten had told her on numerous occasions that she had the image down pat. A memory drifted to the forefront of her mind from many years earlier during her time at the Pokémon Academy.

_"You practically scream 'I am a nice girl' - I mean, you're pretty, your hair is in a luscious ponytail with pretty little bangs framing your attractive eyes, you like to wear cute dresses and make an effort to be stylish," Tenten began, looking her up and down._

_"Not to mention the fact that you're kind, loyal, gentle and caring," Ino added at her other side._

_"You make it sound as though these are bad things!" Sakura replied, her fists balling at her side._

_"They're not bad things, Sakura, but to be a great co-ordinator requires more than just a pretty dress and being nice," Hinata interjected bluntly._

_The group of friends were gathered under the large Oak tree with their lunch boxes. By this stage, Sakura's sandwiches had been abandoned as she felt a lump form in her throat. None of the other females responded, the dark haired prodigy packing the remains of her lunch before turning to stand._

_"I'm sorry if I offended you, but I am only trying to help," Hinata added in a softer voice before retreating across the school yard._

_Sakura felt her eyes prickle before a hand rested gently on her lap, giving her a small squeeze._

_"But having a pretty dress and being nice is a good place to start, Sakura; I have no doubt that you will be a great co-ordinator one day, both you and Hinata," Ume encouraged, Tenten and Ino nodding at the comment._

Sakura blinked, still remembering the flash of discouragement she'd been dealt by Hinata. Hinata was only at their Academy for a year before she was enrolled at a private one in Goldenrod City, but they still maintained their friendship, more or less. It was that encounter under the Oak tree that drove her to work hard at becoming the best co-ordinator she could be. It was no surprise that Hinata won her first championship within two years of graduating from her private Academy. She was a prodigy, no doubt about it and as one of her closest friends, Sakura had been pleased to celebrate the victory. However it only challenged her further to work harder. And after seven years, and coming face to face with her rival at the Kanto Grand Festival, she finally won.

"Sakura!"

The voice disturbed her trail of thought, snapping her back to the present.

"Dammit Sakura! I bet you're sleeping like a Snorlax," the female voice grumbled.

Sakura sat up in her bed, a frown gracing her lips as she leapt out of her bed, heading for the window that lay directly ahead. Throwing the curtains open, Sakura inhaled sharply at the sight of her miko companion on the back of Aerodactyl. Tenten's long dark hair fell freely to her waist, hovering in the late evening breeze. She looked innocent enough in the moonlight, but the blaze in her brown gaze betrayed otherwise.

"Tenten? It's past midnight!"

Tenten rolled her eyes as she gestured behind her.

"I know where Naruto and Ume are," she said simply, causing Sakura to jolt into action. Changing swiftly into the first thing her hands could find, Sakura joined Tenten on Aerodactyl's back in mere moments.

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked, her curls flailing in the air as Aerodactyl doubled back in the opposite direction of her house.

"Ilex Forest," came the response.

Sakura's eyes watered in the harsh air, her cheeks burning as they moved. She suspected that there was more to the situation than what Tenten let on but for the moment she remained silent. She trusted Tenten enough to believe that she knew the location of their friends.

_Naruto, Ume, we're coming._

**X**

**Konohagakure**

Naruto lay on the roof of his home, absently staring at the stars that winked down at him from afar. It was on nights like these where his thoughts would catch him off guard, where sleep would evade him and he would be propelled headlong into a world of memories. Memories, or lack thereof, of those who had loved him, like his parents, and those who had since moved on, like Jiraiya. Naruto sighed audibly, rubbing his forehead that was devoid of the forehead protector that would otherwise mark him as a Konoha villager. While Naruto was not one to naturally mope, it was nights like these, the ones that crept up on his unsuspecting self, when the feelings of self pity would appear unannounced. He despised such self-engrossed emotions. And yet, in those rare moments, when faced with the memories of what he did and could have had, there was the part of him that allowed him to indulge. He was human, afterall, even before his prowess as a shinobi.

His thoughts drifted to the appearance of another Naruto and Jiraiya's granddaughter from a different world. The whole thing was preposterous, but from what he last heard from Tsunade, there was practically no doubt as to their story. He knew better than to push the Hokage for an opportunity to meet the pair, but she had promised that once they were cleared, he would meet them. He had every intention to.

It was at that moment a shadow appeared in the sky. Naruto blinked, his eyes narrowing as he fought to make out the shape.

_A bird? At night time?_

It didn't take him long to realise that the bird was maybe not a bird after all, and he could barely make out the figure that rode the creature. As he jumped to his feet, his ears pricked at the familiar voices.

"It's him!"

The shout resulted in a confused expression settling on the blonde's face as the creature, who Naruto had figured out at that stage was _not _a bird, lowered rather dramatically at a speed he hadn't anticipated. Had he not recognised the pink haired female, he would have made a move to attack. Instead, he simply froze as the beast came to hover alongside his apartment, his blue eyes latching onto the two females that leapt off the strange creature.

"Oh Naruto, I was so _worried_!" Sakura cried, running towards him and throwing her arms around his neck.

Naruto was stunned. As he felt her arms tighten around his frame, he felt his own arms reciprocate the embrace as he inhaled the sweet scent of cherry blossoms the female carried. His cheeks grew warm as Sakura released him at the sound of her companion's cough. Naruto watched as a familiar female appeared. Her eyes softened on contact with his as she shook her head before slapping him across the face.

"What were you _thinking_? We were worried sick about you!" she growled before pulling him into an embrace.

"You still owe me dinner, remember?" she murmured in his ear, causing the heat in his cheeks to rise.

Naruto fought to make sense of the entire situation. One moment, he was reflecting on his memories unimpeded, the next, Sakura and her pretty female companion whom he recognised but could not name, appeared on a creature too big to be a bird and both gave him hugs of the kind he'd never had from any female.

"Hold on a minute, where's Ume?" Sakura asked, breaking the strange silence as the long brown haired female disentangled herself from the blonde.

Before Naruto could respond, the female before him stiffened, forcing his gaze back to her as she stepped away from him.

"You're not Naruto..." she began as she assumed a defensive pose.

Sakura frowned, looking to Naruto with a creased brow.

"What do you mean that's not Naruto, he looks _exactly _like him!"

The female at his front swore as she suddenly became aware of their surroundings.

"Tenten?" Sakura persisted, causing Naruto's brows to raise.

_It can't be... Tenten?_

The attractive female glared at him, her eyes hardening as she raised an arm into the air. Naruto watched the beast at her back rise at the gesture, a sense of foreboding filling the air.

"I think we may be in some trouble, Sakura," Tenten murmured.

**X**

**Shrine to the Three Legendary Beasts - Johto **

Rising to his feet, Kakashi readjusted his black yukata, tightening his white obi around his waist as Jiraiya rose along with him.

"Just bring Naruto and Ume home safely; that will at least be the first step, at this stage Gai is working on repairing the tear Mega Charizard has obviously caused," Jiraiya murmured as the two men moved to the exit of the house.

"He has returned to the Orange Archipelago with Lugia?" Kakashi queried, the pair stepping out into the early morning air.

"He has with Lugia; there is a scroll on one of the Ancient Islands which speaks of other worlds and such. I'm not sure myself, neither is Gai, however Lugia seems certain that the answer will be found there," Jiraiya replied as they moved towards the shrine entrance.

"Either way, I will go on ahead and get Ume and Naruto as you've said, I should not be long," Kakashi murmured, heading for the steps that would lead him into Ilex Forest.

"Take however long you like, just make sure you return with my family," Jiraiya responded. His eyes remained on Kakashi's silver ponytail as it retreated into the still dark forest. The sun was slowly beginning to awaken on the horizon, and the older man could see dawn was fast approaching. Shadows of bird Pokémon flew overhead, as if to comfort the old priest.

_I will be able to find some rest when they return, only when they return._

**X**

**Konohagakure Forest**

Ume bolted upright in the middle of the night, Kakashi immediately noting the disturbance in the otherwise serene atmosphere. The skyline was a thin red line, the shadows of the previous evening still very much present. Kakashi watched as she leapt to her feet, her brow furrowed as she looked around her with wide eyes. She sniffed the air, inhaling deeply as her eyes shifted to the visible portal.

_She is alarmed, yet there is nothing in the atmosphere that my senses can detect that could possibly be a threat._

It was then she gasped, her eyes still frozen on the portal. Kakashi followed her gaze, his usually droopy stare instantly becoming alert. The pair watched as the tear began to enlarge itself a few more centimetres in length and width. Kakashi appeared directly at the front of the portal, causing Ume to draw a sharp breath.

"I can feel the presence of _others_," Ume explained without waiting for an acknowledgement.

"Other what, precisely?" Kakashi muttered before turning to face her.

"Other Pokémon; I don't know how, but I can feel Pokémon in the forest," she replied.

Kakashi stared at her incredulously, and before either person could say anything more, the sound of buzzing greeted their ears from nearby.

"Naruto, get up, we have a situation!" Ume barked, her brother stirring slowly as he attempted to sit up.

"Problem? I just got to sleep..."

Ninetails appeared at his Trainer's side, its fur bristling.

_No time to get ready, we need to act now._

The sound of buzzing increased, Kakashi's intrigue driving him to hone his ears in on the sound. It was definitely the sound that came with bees, but this buzzing was much louder than the usual sound produced by the insect.

True to Ume's suspicions, a swarm of Beedrill entered their clearing, headed directly for them.

_Those are not bees, they are not wasps, what **are **they? And why are they so large?_

Before Kakashi could retaliate, a vortex of fire consumed the large wasp like creatures, visibly weakening their demeanour momentarily. The air shimmered briefly, hailing the appearance of yet another large bird like creature that burst into the atmosphere flaring its wings proudly. Kakashi watched as the large bird with a golden tail emulated a light that immediately constricted the swarm of beasts. It was a matter of moments before the creatures faded into the dawn air.

"Ho-Oh, Kakashi," Naruto greeted as the bird neared them.

Kakashi watched, his body instinctively becoming defensive as the creature lowered, its rider dismounting it in one leap to land directly before them. Kakashi felt his eyes widen as he noted the handsome male that appeared before him in a simple yukata. His face bore no mask, and his features remained unscarred. He looked into a face he had not seen since a child. The male met his eyes, saluting him simply as he slid his katana to his back.

"Well, isn't this awkward," he greeted, meeting his gaze squarely.

"When Gai told me he met my counterpart, I understand now what he meant about your mask. You do yourself no favours, hiding your face like that-"

"Yes, let's ignore the sudden appearance of the Beedrill, but let's talk about how handsome we are!" Ume interjected with an exasperated tone as the Kakashi she knew turned to her with a wink.

"I knew you thought I was handsome," he murmured slyly, Ume's cheeks assuming a bright red colour.

"I am going to act like I didn't hear that Kakashi," Naruto grumbled as Ho-Oh lifted its head into the atmosphere.

_Because the portal has been torn, the more we travel to and fro, the more the veil weakens. I suspect that this is not the only portal anymore. If these Beedrill managed to travel through, then there is no knowing what other Pokémon are appearing here also, and where from. They could be appearing all over this world._

Ume blanched at the thought before turning to Naruto who frowned gravely.

"You mean that because of your travelling back and forth, the portal will only get bigger?" masked Kakashi repeated, at which Ho-Oh nodded.

_Indeed, Kakashi. _

Priest Kakashi turned from them to look at the portal that had since grown even larger.

"We need to meet with your authorities; unfortunately despite the fact that this mess was something that was prompted by the Pokémon of our world, its ramifications affect us all," the priest suggested, his ponytail swaying in the morning breeze.

"I thought you were here to take us home though," Naruto interrupted, to which Kakashi frowned.

"I was, but if it's true that there is no longer just one portal, but several where Pokémon are freely coming and going, this needs to be addressed first before we can return to our world," Kakashi replied.

Konoha Kakashi narrowed his eyes towards the other male, still unsure of what to make of his traditional features. Priest Kakashi stared back at him before ruffling his bangs with his free hand.

"Who's better looking Ume, him or me?"

Naruto sweatdropped at the question, his sister glaring at him.

_If you have finished with your vain exploits, Kakashi, there is a situation at hand._

Ho-Oh's calm voice filled the air, garnering a fervent nod from Ume and Naruto.

_But just for the record, I think you are._

"I'd say that masked Kakashi is; very mysterious," Naruto added matter-of-factly, the men turning to her for her opinion.

"I have _nothing _to say; we need a plan!" she emphasised dramatically, fighting to maintain calm.

_Trust Kakashi to be more concerned about being better looking than his counterpart! His vanity is infuriating!_

"But Ume-"

"I _swear_ Kakashi, if you ask me one more time about who I find more attractive, I will burn your entire collection of Icha Icha novels! And just so you know, I prefer masked Kakashi, at least he's not into those rubbish novels," Ume shouted, her fists shaking.

Masked Kakashi choked at the female's comment, a slight warmth tingeing his cheeks at the compliment. He suppressed a laugh at the mention of Icha Icha novels.

_So they exist in their world too? If only you knew, Ume._

With that thought, Kakashi bit back a chuckle, moving instead to formulate a plan of attack.

**X**

**Author's Notes:**

**1. **Thank you for reading! Please leave a review; if there are any terribly OOC moments, let me know so I can rectify the writing style :)

**2. **Any other general comments, lemme know ;) I can't improve if you don't tell me what's wrong hehe.

**3.** Thanks to hunter994x for your knowledgeable Pokémon eye keeping me in line ;)

**4. **dracologistmaster, your request is in the process!

Thank you once again to reviewers and non-reviewers alike. Look after yourselves in this coming week. Smile and be happy; I live by this motto: You either laugh or cry, hence why I choose to laugh, even in the most inappropriate of times, like at meetings and when receiving bad news lol (I mean, the news is bad enough, no need to make it any worse than it needs to be with a sour attitude; just gotta pick yourself up and move on) :) - my encouragement for the day, and that's free ;)

Alofa atu,  
_With love,_

- QK


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